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Safety Points to Remember as you Ring in 2019!

By December 31, 2018No Comments

The staff at Columbia Richland Fire hopes that you all enjoyed the holiday season and are getting ready to welcome 2019!

If you plan to venture out to enjoy New Years festivities PLEASE keep these safety tips in mind:

If your celebrations this year will include alcohol…

1. Make a plan ahead of time. Don’t wait until you’ve started drinking to figure out how you’re going to get home.

2. Never get in the car with a driver who has been drinking. Even one alcoholic beverage can impair his or her ability to drive safely.

3. Make sure friends and family who celebrate with you have a safe ride home, or invite them to sleep on your couch or spare bed.

4. Plan to call a taxi or use a ride sharing service such as Uber or Lyft to help you get home safely.

5. If you wake up early on New Year’s Day after consuming too many adult beverages the night before, be aware that you could still be legally intoxicated and don’t drive until enough time has passed that you’re sober.

Also, if you witness a driver who you suspect may be driving under the influence, pull over to a safe place and call 9-1-1 or *H-P.

If you plan to use fireworks this evening…

1. Never allow young children to play with or ignite fireworks.

2. Avoid buying fireworks that are packaged in brown paper because this is often a sign that the fireworks were made for professional displays and that they could pose a danger to consumers.

3. Always have an adult supervise fireworks activities. Parents don’t realize that young children suffer injuries from sparklers. Sparklers burn at temperatures of about 2,000 degrees – hot enough to melt some metals.

4. Never place any part of your body directly over a fireworks device when lighting the fuse. Back up to a safe distance immediately after lighting fireworks.

5. Never try to re-light or pick up fireworks that have not ignited fully.

6. Never point or throw fireworks at another person.

7. Keep a bucket of water or a garden hose handy in case of fire or other mishap.

8. Light fireworks one at a time, then move back quickly.

9. Never carry fireworks in a pocket or shoot them off in metal or glass containers.

10. After fireworks complete their burning, douse the spent device with plenty of water from a bucket or hose before discarding it to prevent a trash fire.

11. Make sure fireworks are legal in your area before buying or using them.

All of us here at Columbia Richland Fire wish you and your families a happy and safe new year!