Easton's Halloween Safety Tips: Plan Ahead

EASTON, MA — Planning ahead, staying in groups and inspecting the candy are among several safety tips being offered by Easton's public safety officials ahead of Halloween. The Police and Fire departments encourage residents to follow these tips particularly during trick-or-treating.

"On behalf of the entire Easton Police Department, we wish the community a Happy Halloween," said Police Chief Gary Sullivan. "To ensure the night runs smoothly, we recommend parents plan trick-or-treating routes beforehand. This allows for parents to familiarize themselves with their surroundings and limit confusion on Halloween night."

Easton's Police and Fire departments recommend that residents follow safety tips outlined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services.

Dressing up

• Wear well-fitting masks, costumes to avoid blocked vision, trips and falls. Consider adding reflective tape to the kids' costumes and bags
• If temperatures are cold during trick-or-treating time, be sure to have kids wear long sleeves and warm clothing under their costumes
• If a child is wearing a mask, make sure the eye holes are large enough to see through clearly
• When shopping for costume pieces, look for ones labeled as being flame retardant
• Swords, knives and other costume accessories should be short, soft and flexible

Trick-or-treating

• Children under the age of 12 should be accompanied by an adult. Avoid trick-or-treating alone
• If your older children go trick-or-treating without parental supervision, go over ground rules first and set a curfew. Have them travel in a group, with a cell phone and flashlight. Make sure they know to call 911 in case of an emergency
• Pedestrian injuries are very common on Halloween. Remind kids to stay in a group, to use sidewalks and crosswalks whenever possible, and to look both ways before crossing the street
• Only go to homes with a porch light on. Never go into a home or a car for a treat
• Examine all of you kids' treats for choking hazards and tampering. Do not eat treats that have been opened, even partially. Avoid eating homemade treats made by strangers

Keeping your home safe

• Make sure your home is well-lit inside and out, and that there is a clear path to your front door
• Keep all decorations like cornstalks and hay away from heat sources and lit candles
• Use battery-operated tea lights instead of candles in jack-o-lanters
• Put matches and lighters away in high, locked cabinets so that children can't access them

"We would like to encourage children and their parents to use glow sticks or flashlights when trick-or-treating," said Fire Chief Kevin Partridge.