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A jack-o’-lantern smiles at children trick or treating in Belpre in 2022.
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(File Photo)
Scores of trick-or-treaters pack streets near City Park in 2021.
(File Photo)
A jack-o’-lantern smiles at children trick or treating in Belpre in 2022.
Halloween is fast approaching and with the decorations and crowds of trick-or-treaters come safety concerns.
Marietta Police Captain Aaron Nedeff shared some safety tips for trick or treating.
It is important for trick-or-treaters to travel in groups, according to Nedeff.
“It’s always better to be traveling together if you don’t have an adult (with you),” he said.
If a house is not well-lit, trick-or-treaters should not stop at it due to safety concerns, he said, and because the homeowners may not want to be bothered.
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Scores of trick-or-treaters pack streets near City Park in 2021.
Nedeff warned drivers need to watch out for children, take extra time to get where they are going and move slowly through neighborhoods and residential areas.
He said children will be “amped up on sugar and excitement” and won’t ber looking both ways before crossing the street.
Nedeff pointed out it is a good idea for parents to at least look at candy and if a piece looks tampered with or damaged it is better to throw it away to be on the safe side.
He also said it is a good idea for parents to give children a flashlight so they can be seen.
Devola Volunteer Fire Department firefighter and advanced EMT Jesse Lehman agreed with Nedeff that visibility of trick-or-treaters is an important safety tip.
“Make sure that they have glow sticks, flashlights, something reflective” so they can be seen, he said.
There are things homeowners can do to help with Halloween safety, according to Lehman.
He said homeowners should make sure any electrical Halloween decorations are grounded property and that they are waterproof so they don’t short out and cause a fire.
Lehman said Devola VFD sees a lot of medical calls on Halloween and the night people trick-or-treat is “kind of a safety nightmare.”
He suggested a way homeowners can help the situation. He said they should have things as well-lit as possible so people can see and there will not be a tripping hazard or other safety issue.
Fire is also a safety issue on Halloween, according to the National Fire Protection Association.
Between 2018 and 2022, an annual average of 835 home structure fires began with Halloween decorations and these fires resulted in three deaths, 30 injuries and $14 million in direct property damage, according to an association media release.
The release said almost half of the fires occurred because decorations were too close to a heat source and approximately a third were started by candles.
The association suggests keeping flammable decorations like corn stalks, crepe paper and dried flowers far away from open flames or heat sources like candles, heaters and light bulbs.
The release said if candles are used as a Halloween decoration they should be kept in well-attended areas out of the path of potential trick-or-treaters and if they are used in a jack-o’-lantern it should be kept away from other decorations.
Glow sticks or electric candles are the safest choice for lighting jack-o’-lanterns, according to the release.
Costumes can also be an issue when it comes to fire, the release said, and people should avoid costumes that billow or trail behind them and if they are making their own costumes they should avoid very flammable fabrics like cotton or linen.
The release also said people should make sure their smoke alarms are in working order and decorations should not be put in exits and they should not block escape routes like windows or doors.
