Safety tips to help keep little monsters safe this Halloween
Public Service Announcement
The Kelowna Fire Department and RCMP have teamed up to offer spooktacular Halloween tips to make this year’s trick or treating celebrations fun and safe for everyone in our community.
Halloween safety tips:
- Choose a costume that is bright, visible and without long trailing fabric that could catch a flame
- Provide children with flashlights or glow sticks so cars can easily see them
- Stick to the sidewalk: do not jaywalk and stay to one side of the street at a time
- Have an adult or an older teenager accompany young children trick-0r-treating
- Keep all decorations away from open flames, especially dried flowers, crepe paper and cornstalks and haybales
- Use a battery-operated candle in your jack-o-lantern
- Ensure exits remain visible and are not obstructed by Halloween decorations.
- Ensure costumes with fake weapons are easily identified as fake
- Check that a mask does not block the child’s vision or sightlines
- Teach children to stop, drop and roll if their costume catches fire
- Make sure all smoke alarms in the home are working
- Have parents check all candy before being consumed: candy wrappers that have been damaged or have been tampered with should be discarded
KFD would also like to remind residents that Firecrackers and recreational fireworks are not permitted in the City of Kelowna.
“There are very few urban centers in BC who still permit recreational fireworks,” said Paul Johnson, Fire Prevention Officer, with the Kelowna Fire Department. “Not only can they be dangerous to an inexperienced operator and those observing, but they also pose a significant fire risk with surrounding trees, grasses and dry areas.”
Fireworks may only be used by a licensed operator through a permitting process from the fire department. Persons caught shooting fireworks are subject to a minimum of a $250 bylaw offence notice issued by the fire department.
