News Flash

Trick or Treat Safety Tips from the Police Department:

1. Try to Trick or Treat when it is still light outside.
2. If you must Trick or Treat in the dark, make sure your costume is light in color.
3. Carry a flashlight with you so you can be easily seen.
4. Use reflective tape on your costume to be seen easier.
5. Wear a costume that is easy to walk in, see from, and be seen in.
6. Use make-up instead of a mask.
7. If you are using a mask, make sure it fits properly and eye holes are large.
8. If someone older cannot go with you, Trick or Treat in a group.
9. Cross only at corners. Never cross between parked cars or at mid-block.
10. Tell your family which streets you will be Trick or Treating on.
11. If there are no sidewalks, always walk facing traffic.
12. Wait until you get home to sort, check, and eat your treats.

Trick or Treat and Halloween Safety Tips from the Fire Department:

1. Purchase only costumes, wigs and props labeled flame-resistant or flame-retardant. When creating a costume, choose material that won't easily ignite if it comes in contact with heat or flame. Avoid billowing or long trailing features.
2. Make certain customs do not obstruct vision.
3. Provide children with lightweight flashlights to carry for lighting or as part of their costume.
4. Dried flowers, cornstalks, and crepe paper are highly flammable. Keep these and other decorations well away from all open flames and heat sources, including light bulbs, heaters, etc.
5. Use the proper grade of the proper fuel for your liquid-fueled space heater, and never use gasoline in any heater not approved for gasoline use. Refuel only in a well-ventilated area and when the equipment is cool.
6. Use flashlights or battery-operated candles when illuminating Jack-o-lanterns. Use extreme caution when decorating with candle lit Jack-O-Lanterns, and supervise children at all times when candles are lit. When lighting candles inside Jack-O-Lanterns, use long, fireplace-style matches and be sure to place lit pumpkins well away from anything that can burn including doorsteps, walkways, and yards.
7. Remember to keep exits clear of decorations, ensuring nothing blocks escape routes.
8. Use flashlights as alternatives to candles or torch lights when decorating walkways and yards. They are much safer for trick-or-treaters, whose costumes may brush against the lighting.
9. Instruct children to stay away from open flames or other heat sources. Be sure children know how to stop, drop, and roll in the event their clothing catches fire. (Stop immediately, drop to the ground, covering your face with your hands, and roll over and over to extinguish flames.) Cool the burn.
10. Make sure fuel-burning equipment is vented to the outside, that the venting is kept clear and unobstructed, and that the exit point is properly sealed around the vent, all of which is to make sure deadly carbon monoxide does not build up in the home.
11. Instruct children who are attending parties at others' homes to locate the exits and plan how they would get out in an emergency.