Halloween Safety Tips

The Massachusets State Fire Marshal offers the following tips for a safe and happy Halloween:

Costumes:

• Children should carry a flashlight and their costumes should be bright-colored or have reflective tape to highlight them.
• Be sure all parts of the costume are labeled flame retardent.
• Costumes should not have trailing material or tails long enough to cause falls.
• Pointed objects such as swords and devils' forks should be made of soft material.
• If your child wears a mask instead of make-up on their face, double check that the eye holes are large enough to see through clearly.
• Children should wear sturdy shoes and temperature appropriate clothing underneath their costumes.

Decorations

• Use a small flashlight instead of a candle.
• Only use flame-proof crepe paper.
• Keep dried leaves and cornstalks away from all flames and heat sources.

Receiving Trick-or-Treaters

• Make sure your own home is well-lit and that there is a clear path to your door. Bicycles and lawn furniture can trip youngsters in the dark.

Checking Treats

• Throw out anything that appears tampered with, home-made foods, or home-packaged foogs unless you are certain of the source.
• Inspect fruit closely and take away treats taht may not be age-appropriate. Young children may choke on things like hard candy or peanuts.

Fireworks

• Firecrackers, cherry bombs, and party poppers cause many injuries and fires on Halloween. These are dangerous and should not be used by children, teens or adults. Besides the physical danger and the fire hazards involved, fireworks are illegal in Massachusetts.

Change Your Clock, Change Your Battery

• Each year around Halloween, we turn the clocks back one hour. This is a good time to change the batteries in your smoke detectors. This year, buy batteries along with your halloween candy, and on Saturday, October 25th, change your clocks and change your batteries.

Trick or Treating

• Smaller children should always be with an adult. It's best to take little ones out early.
• If older children are going out without you, go over the ground rules first!
• Know what neighborhoods they will be in.
• Don't allow them in areas with which you are not completely comfortable.
• Have children stay in a group.
• Let them know what time to be home.
• Give them change to use the telephone if necessary.

Instruct Children to:

• Use sidewalks.
• Cross only at the corners, never dart out between parked cars.
• Cover one side of the street at a time, no criss-crossing.
• Never go inside someone's home, unless it's a friend's.
• Never accept a ride in a car.
• Only approach houses where the outside lights are on as a signal of welcome.
• Bring bags home to be checked by an adult before eating a single treat.

Provided by:

Needham Fire Department
Fire Prevention Bureau
88 Chestnut Street
Needham, MA 02192
(781) 455-7580

and:

Stephen D. Coan, State Fire Marshal
Department of Fire Services
1010 Commonwealth Avenue
Boston, MA 02215