JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO, Texas -- Ghosts, goblins, and other terrifying monsters will soon be haunting your neighborhood. But of course these non-threatening creatures of the night are none other than children who are enjoying the revelries of Halloween.
With the excitement of this yearly event, Joint Base San Antonio-Fire Emergency Services requests parents to follow a few tips to ensure the night is filled with fun and not tragedy.
In 2013, an estimated 6,100 pedestrian deaths and 160,000 medically consulted nonfatal injuries occurred among pedestrians in motor vehicles, according to Injury Facts 2015, the statistical report on unintentional injuries created by the National Safety Council, or NSC.
The NCS research revealed the reasons for pedestrian deaths and injuries varied by age. Darting or running into the road accounted for about 70 percent of pedestrian deaths or injuries for those age 5 to 9 and about 47 percent of incidents for those 10 to 14.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has compiled a list of Halloween Safety Tips at https://www.aap.org/en-us/about-the-aap/aap-press-room/news-features-and-safety-tips/Pages/Halloween-Safety-Tips.aspx to help ensure adults and children have safe holiday. This includes the do’s and don’ts on the trick-or-treat trail.
- All costumes, wigs, and accessories should be fire-resistant.
- If children are allowed out after dark, fasten reflective tape to their costumes and bags to make sure they are visible.
- When buying Halloween makeup, make sure it is nontoxic and always test it in a small area first.
- Watch for children walking on roadways, medians and curbs. Enter and exit driveways and alleys carefully
- At twilight and later in the evening, watch for children in dark clothing
- Instruct children to travel only in familiar, well-lit areas and avoid trick-or treating alone.
- Tell children not to eat any treats until they return home.
- Teach children to never enter a stranger’s home.
For more Halloween safety tips, visit the National Fire Protection Association’s website at https://www.nfpa.org/education or the National Safety Council at https://www.nsc.org/learn/safety-knowledge/Pages/halloween-safety.aspx or contact the fire prevention offices at JBSA-Fort Sam Houston at 210-221-1804, at JBSA-Lackland at 210-671-2921 or at JBSA-Randolph at 210-652-6915.