Hi-Ho Holiday Safety Tips

Written by: Dan Mackevicius, Communications Intern

Everyone looks forward to the holidays (okay, except Grinches and Scrooges).  Presents, good food, family, extended weekends, Christmas movies (ad nauseum, sometimes), football…do I need to add more?  But the holidays also present a few unique challenges, like travel, cooking and weather, so here are some things to that should be on your mind throughout the season:

• Before you leave for your party, make sure everyone is buckled securely in your vehicle.
• Make an emergency kit for your car in case anything should happen to you on the way to grandma’s house.  This should include extra blankets or sleeping bags, jumper cables, a fire extinguisher, compass and road maps, a shovel, a tire repair kit and pump, extra clothing and tow ropes.
• Avoid driving in winter storms, but if you must, keep your gas tank full for emergencies and to keep you fuel line from freezing, and let someone know of your travel route and when you expect to arrive.
• When you get to grandma’s house and you start making your famous chocolate pecan pie, keep anything flammable away from your stove top and keep a kid-free zone of at least 3 feet from where hot food and drinks are prepared.
• Designate a driver in case you indulge in a little too much holiday cheer.
• Never leave a candle unattended, and keep anything flammable – like a coat or blanket – away from space heaters.  
• Make sure you keep your Christmas tree fire free by following the Muppets tips above! 

  

     Keep yourself and those around you happy and safe this holiday season.  If you do, our hearts at the Red Cross will grow three sizes and burst out of the confines of that little tiny X-ray box.  Or, we’ll make Bob Cratchit a partner in the organization.  Um, do I need any more references?