Make fire safety the priority this Halloween

Oct. 25, 2021 10:00 a.m.

Vaughan Fire and Rescue Service provides tips for trick-or-treating

 

The only fright you should have on Halloween is from spooky costumes and scary movies – not from a fire.

When getting ready for Halloween next week, whether going out or staying in, Vaughan Fire and Rescue Service is providing safety tips to keep everyone safe while having fun!

  • Test your smoke alarms to make sure they work. This is also a great time to install new batteries.
  • Choose safer alternatives like battery-operated candles, flashlights and glow sticks instead of candles to light up your jack-o’-lantern and other Halloween decorations. If you must use candles, never leave them unattended and keep them well away from children, pets and anything that can burn.
  • Purchase Halloween costumes (including wigs and props) labelled flame-resistant or flame-retardant. If you’re making props or outfits, choose materials that won’t easily ignite and avoid billowing or long trailing features.
  • Keep exits clear of decorations to ensure nothing blocks your escape routes in the event of a fire.
  • Make sure children know to “stop, drop and roll” if their clothing does catch fire – stop immediately, drop to the ground, cover your face with your hands and roll over and over to extinguish flames.
  • Remember, extension cords are for temporary use only. Use the right one for the job – there are special extension cords for outdoor use.
  • Never overload electrical outlets by plugging in too many plugs – use an approved power bar.

For additional fire safety tips, visit vaughan.ca/fire.

YORK REGION PUBLIC HEALTH MEASURES

While it is great news children can resume trick-or-treating this year, it is important to recognize we are still in a pandemic and everyone needs to continue making safe choices and practise the following public health measures from York Region:

  • Trick-or-treat outdoors as much as possible.
  • If you are trick-or-treating indoors, such as in an apartment complex, maintain physical distancing as much as possible and wear a face covering, especially when physical distancing is a challenge.
  • Stay home if you or your little ones are feeling ill or have even mild symptoms, even if fully vaccinated.
  • Do not congregate or linger at doorsteps; keep interactions brief and maintain physical distancing while trick-or-treating as much as possible.
  • Whether trick-or-treating or handing out treats, clean your hands often throughout the evening using soap and water or with hand sanitizer.
  • Parents are encouraged to be creative and fashion a face covering into their child’s Halloween costume design; a costume mask is no substitute for a proper face covering.
  • The best way to stay safe while trick-or-treating this year is to ensure everyone who is eligible to do so has received two COVID-19 vaccine doses; a weekly schedule of static and pop-up clinic locations and hours is available at york.ca/COVID19Vaccine.

While kids may like trick-or-treating, many people enjoy gathering with friends on this holiday. If you decide to host or attend a Halloween gathering this year, be sure to adhere to the following measures to keep yourself and others safe:

  • Limit gatherings to a maximum of 100 people outdoors and a maximum of 25 people indoors.
  • Maintain a contact list for all guests, including name, phone number and email; this will be used in the event York Region Public Health has to conduct contact tracing.
  • Encourage everyone at your gathering to be fully vaccinated, if eligible, before attending.
  • Provide hand washing stations, hand sanitizer and encourage physical distancing where possible.

Even if you are not trick-or-treating or gathering this year, there are still plenty of ways to get into the spooky spirit:

  • Have an Easter egg-like hunt in your home, with kids hunting for Halloween treats.
  • Plan a spooky scavenger hunt for your kids.
  • Decorating different doors in your home and have kids trick-or-treat indoors with different household members handing out treats.
  • Setting up a piñata at home filled with your kids’ favourite Halloween treats.
  • Make your house, windows or doors a scary sight for all the neighbours.
  • Host a virtual party and show off your costumes with friends.

TREAT ACCESSIBLY

The City of Vaughan is dedicated to fostering an inclusive community where people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds can thrive – including on Halloween. As a reflection of this commitment to advancing accessibility, Vaughan Council recently endorsed the Treat Accessibly initiative. This is a grassroots movement started in 2017 by the Padulo family to make Halloween trick-or-treating more accessible and inclusive for all families. Treat Accessibly outlines the following ways households in Vaughan, and in communities throughout North America, can distribute Halloween goodies in a safe and accessible way:

  • Download a free accessible trick-or-treating sign to place in your window.
  • Create a trick-or-treating station at the end of your driveway.
  • Make sure the path to your trick-or-treating area is well lit and clear of any hazards.
  • Refrain from using strobe lights and high-pitched, sudden loud noises.
  • Ensure pets are kept safely away from the front of your house.

More information on this initiative is available in the City’s News Release.

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