During the holiday season, many families are buzzing with activity and excitement. Between putting up decorations, purchasing gifts, preparing delectable meals and much, much more, it's easy to overlook important safety precautions. To help protect you and your family, as well as the family fur-baby and any newly gifted belongings, the City of Tallahassee invites you to participate in the 12 days of holiday safety (partridges not included).
According to UPS Inc., nearly 750 million packages will be delivered during the 2018 holiday season. If you are receiving packages at your home address, monitor their expected arrival date very closely. When ordering, make sure you receive a tracking number for your package. If a friend or family member is sending you something, ask for the tracking number. If possible, pick up the package from your front porch on the day that it arrives. Leaving packages out for days at a time is an open invitation to would-be thieves.
If you cannot pick up your package on the day that it arrives, consider asking a trusted neighbor to pick it up for you. Also consider mailing your package to an alternate address where you can properly receive it once it arrives.
Other helpful options for protecting your holiday packages are to select the "ship to store" or "signature on delivery" options during online check-out.
If you have plans to decorate your home like Clark Griswold, then you'll surely want safety on your side to avoid falling of the roof, damaging your gutters and keeping airborne projectiles from piercing your neighbor's windows.
Before you decorate the outside of your home, carefully inspect your holiday decorations, especially strands of lights, for any cracks or damage that may have occurred during storage. Once everything checks out, use a properly secured ladder if you're placing decorations near the eaves of your house. Ask someone to serve as a spotter at the ladder's base. Instead of hammering your dazzling display into your home's exterior, use specially-designed removable clips. This will affix your display to your home, while protecting it from permanent damage. Plus, these removable clips will help make tear down a breeze. Lastly, use heavy-duty, outdoor-rated extension cords for any decorations that require power. Avoid overloading extension cords and use a surge protector, if possible. Place these cords and protectors in low-traffic areas as to not let any elves trip when delivering presents.
When breaking out the pine and mistletoe to fashion holiday garlands and boughs for your fireplace and tablescapes, it's easy to let your creative juices soar on the heels of magical reindeer. Beware of using delicate, flammable or delicious materials though. Breakable items like glass bulbs can shatter, creating a dangerous situation for your feet and any little paws in your home. Candles should always be closely monitored when lit. Candy bowls of tempting treats can become a choking hazard for little ones and could create health issues for family pets, so keep them out of reach.
For many, the holiday tree is the center of their indoor decorations. Selecting the perfect tree is one way to avoid a holiday hazard. Fresh, green trees where the needles are hard to pluck away are less likely to catch fire. After you've selected your fresh tree, make sure to fix it to the wall to avoid tipping over and water it often to prevent drying out. Place your tree away from heat sources like fireplaces, radiators and candles. Also, be careful of what ornaments you use to decorate your tree. If you have little ones or four-legged family members, you may not want to place ornaments toward the bottom of your tree, especially tinsel.
There are many ways that pets can get into mischief during the holidays, but there are also some very dangerous things they could encounter. Seasonal plants like poinsettias and holly are toxic to pets. If your pet ingests these plants, they can experience nausea, vomiting and diarrhea – enough to derail your holiday dreams. Opt for artificial plants instead of live plants to protect your pets or simply don't use these plant varieties at all.
Pets know how to pull at your heart strings, and during the holiday season, it's tempting to give in. Some foods, like chocolate and anything sweetened with xylitol, are harmful to your pets. Additionally, fatty and spicy human foods are a naughty list item for furry friends. Be sure to also keep pets away from unattended plates of food and secure the lids on garbage cans.
Stuffed stockings hanging over a crackling fireplace tend to fill the wishful dreams of holiday planners, but any kind of open flame, be it a simple candle or a leaping fire over logs, is bound to produce hazards. If you decide to use fire in any capacity during the holidays, always monitor it closely. For fireplaces specifically, use a screen or grate to help protect little ones from reaching in and to keep embers from floating out.
It's vital that you check to make sure your smoke alarm is working properly. By changing the batteries in your smoke alarm and testing it, you could be saving lives. It's estimated that 860 home structure fires each year are caused by seasonal decorations, resulting in an annual average of one fire death, 41 injuries and $13.4 million in property damage. Having a working smoke alarm is paramount during the holidays when fire hazards abound.
During the winter months, temperatures take a dip, even in Tallahassee. Earlier this year, snow covered our streets as we received the first measurable amount of snow since 1989. Be it freezing or just cool, residents often warm up by turning on space heaters and other supplemental heating appliances. If you use these heat sources, be careful. Place heat sources at least three feet away from anything that can burn, including papers, clothing and rugs, and double check that your smoke alarm is working properly.
Holiday parties entice some people to give in to reckless behavior, be it drinking alcohol in excess or, worse, getting behind the wheel buzzed. If you partake in celebrations with co-workers, friends or family, please make decisions wisely – abstain from alcohol altogether, choose a designated driver or use a taxi/rideshare service to take you to and from your destination. Enjoying the season responsibly will ensure that everyone has a merry holiday.
If your family has plans to travel during the holidays, you'll want to be sure your home is thoroughly protected so that the Grinch and would-be thieves won't be tempted to steal your holiday away. To keep your property secure, lock your doors, turn on your alarm and notify your neighbors of the dates you'll be gone. Want to go the extra mile? Call the Tallahassee Police Department and request an officer to patrol your neighborhood.
If dashing through the snow isn't your thing, then staying at home may be just what Santa ordered. Stay home during the holidays doesn't mean you need to be any less vigilant though. Make sure your doors and windows are locked and keep presents and valuables out of sight. Also, lock your car doors, even if you're only running inside for a moment.
Food plays a major role in the holidays. From masterful mains to succulent sides, many families choose to cook and prepare huge homecooked meals. Preparing meals of this magnitude can present hazards. When cooking your holiday meal, make your kitchen a "kid-free zone." This will help protect young children from causing spills or getting accidentally burned by hot food or liquids.
The leading cause of fires in the kitchen is unattended cooking. If you're cooking, be it frying, grilling or roasting, stay present and keep a watchful eye on your food.
Frying turkeys is very popular during the holiday season; however, this type of cooking can be very dangerous. If you decide to fry a turkey, make sure you are a safe distance away from buildings and other items that can catch fire. Never use a turkey fryer in a garage or on a wooden deck. To avoid a grease fire, don't overfill your fryer; leave room for the turkey to be submerged in the hot oil. Lastly, consider an oil-less turkey fryer. These types of appliances do not require any hot oil but still make the turkey tender and crispy.
All is calm, and the new TV is bright. Will its box at the curb bring a thief in the night? Boxes serve as billboards for criminals driving through your neighborhood. It lets them easily see who received the newest televisions, video games or other electronics. Instead of leaving boxes in front of your home for recycling, bring them to a designated cardboard-only receptacle for disposal set up by the City of Tallahassee. This year, receptacles will be available at the Jack McLean Park (700 Paul Russell Road), James Messer Sports Complex (2830 Jackson Bluff Road), Tom Brown Park (443 Easterwood Drive) and San Luis Mission Park (131 San Luis Road).
Adhering to these safety tips throughout the holiday season will help ensure you and your family have a very merry holiday.