Message from the Chief – Halloween Safety

The Fire Chief would like to share a few Fire Safety tips for Halloween.

Halloween is a fun, and spooky, time of year for kids.  Make trick-or-treating safe for your little monsters with a few easy safety tips.

  • When choosing a costume, stay away from long trailing fabric. If your child is wearing a mask, make sure the eye holes are large enough so he or she can see out.
  • Provide children with flashlights to carry for lighting or glow sticks as part of their costume.
  • Dried flowers, cornstalks and crepe paper catch fire easily. Keep all decorations away from open flames and other heat sources like light bulbs and heaters.
  • Use a battery-operated candle or glow-stick in jack-o-lanterns. If you use a real candle, use extreme caution.  Make sure children are watched at all times when candles are lit.  When lighting candles inside jack-o-lanterns, use long, fireplace-style matches or a utility lighter. Be sure to place lit pumpkins well away from anything that can burn and far enough out of the way of trick-or-treaters, doorsteps, walkways and yards.
  • Remember to keep exits clear of decorations, so nothing blocks escape routes.
  • Make sure all smoke alarms in the home are working.
  • Tell children to stay away from open flames including jack-o-lanterns with candles in them. Be sure they know how to stop, drop and roll if their clothing catches fire. (Have them practice, stopping immediately, dropping to the ground, covering their face with hands, and rolling over and over to put the flames out.)

DID YOU KNOW ? – Decorations are the first thing to ignite in 900 reported home fires each year.  Two of every five of these fires were started by a candle.

Consider becoming a VOLUNTEER Firefighter or EMT.  Simply click the link https://join.bmfd.org/

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The Fire Chiefs and all the Members of the Briarcliff Manor Fire Department hope you and your families have a Safe and Happy Halloween!

NOTE: The Halloween ‘Rag-a-Muffin’ Parade is yearly sponsored by the Village Recreation Department and the Briarcliff Manor Fire Department.  The Parade will be held this Saturday, October 26th.  It will begin at 9:30am, with children in costume marching down Pleasantville Road from the Operating Engineers Building just north of Popular Road to the Firehouse.  The Halloween Parade concludes with entertainment.  A light snack and treats will be provided to all participants.  In the event of inclement weather, the Parade will be cancelled, but the entertainment will take place in the Fire House beginning at 10am.