- 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.
- Provide children with lightweight flashlights to
carry for lighting or as part of their costume
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Remember to keep exits clear of decorations,
ensuring nothing blocks escape routes.
- Use flashlights as alternatives to candles or
torchlights when decorating walkways and yards. They are much safer for
trick-or-treaters, whose costumes may brush against the lighting.
- 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.
- 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.
- Instruct children who are attending parties at
others' homes to locate the exits and plan how they would get out in an
emergency.
-Chief Scandariato |