Be Safe and Make the Halloween Scares Fun Ones

Officials with Barrow County Emergency Services (BCES) remind residents to make safety a priority this Halloween.

• Want to be notified each time a new fire or crime story is posted? Go to the Barrow Patch police and fire page and click on "Get email updates."

• Driving slowly through neighborhoods where children could be trick or treating.    
  
• Avoiding costumes with billowing or long trailing fabric. If you are making your own costume, choose material that won't easily ignite if it comes into contact with heat or flame. If your child is wearing a mask, make sure the eye holes are large enough so they can see out.
• Providing children with flashlights to carry for lighting or glow sticks as part of their costume.
• Keeping dried flowers, cornstalks and crepe paper and other highly flammable decorations well away from all open flames and heat sources, including light bulbs and heaters.
• Using a flashlight or battery-operated candles in a jack-o-lantern. If you use a real candle, use extreme caution. Make sure children are watched at all times when candles are lit. When lighting candles inside jack-o-lanterns, use long fireplace-style matches or a utility lighter. Be sure to place lit pumpkins well away from anything that can burn and far away from trick-or-treaters, doorsteps, walkways, and yards. If you choose to use candle decorations, make sure to keep them well attended at all times.
• Remembering to keep exits clear of decorations, so nothing blocks escape routes.
• Telling children to stay away from open flames. Be sure they know how to stop, drop and roll if their clothing catches fire. (Have them practice stopping immediately, dropping to the ground, covering their face with hands, and rolling over and over to put the flames out.)
• Using 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.

"Let's all work together to make this a fun and safe Halloween this year," Dakin said. 

For more Halloween safety tips, visit the Safe Kids website or the National Fire Protection Agency website. Citizens may also "like" the Barrow County Emergency Services Facebook page and to receive safety tips, department updates and other news.