All year long, you should think SAFETY FIRST! But during the holidays, there are additional opportunities for you to help keep yourself and your family safe. Follow these simple rules and you can be safe and have fun, too!

• Know how to call "911" in an emergency. Ask your parents to post important phone numbers next to every phone in the house.
• Have a fire escape plan. In case of fire, make sure your family knows how to get out of your home quickly. Have two different escape routes, and pick a safe place to meet outside, away from the house.
• If your parents let you cook, know that fires can easily start in the kitchen. Never leave the room if you have something on the stove or in the microwave.
• If you cook on a stove, be sure to turn the pot handles toward the back so you don't bump them and burn yourself with the hot contents.
• Buckle up when driving to visit friends and relatives for the holidays.

Christmas Tree Safety

• Place the tree away from floor heaters, fireplaces, or other heat sources.
• Be sure your tree is securely placed into a large tree stand and won't tip over, causing injury or fire.
• Don't put too many plugs into one extension cord. This could cause a fire.
• Check the water level in the tree stand every day and keep it full. Dried-out needles can catch fire more easily.
• Unplug tree lights when you go to bed and when you leave the house.

Protect Younger Brothers and Sisters

• Be sure they don't put anything into an electrical outlet. Ask your parents to buy safety covers for the outlets in your home.
• Don't give them food that could get stuck in their throats, like hard candies, nuts, grapes and popcorn.
• Never, ever leave a younger brother or sister alone in a bathtub. Don't go back to your room to get a toy, don't answer the phone, don't answer the doorbell. Little children can drown very quickly in very little water.
• Keep all little toys, marbles, game pieces and Holiday decorations away from younger brothers and sisters. They can choke on them.
• When you unwrap your gifts, place the wrapping, ribbons and packaging materials out of the reach of small children.
• Keep balloons away from younger brothers or sisters. An uninflated balloon or pieces of a broken balloon can get stuck in their throats so they can't breathe.
• Ask your parents to hide dangerous things like knives, matches, plastic bags and lighters.
• Don't leave hot cocoa or other hot beverages near the edge of a table. A small child can pull it off and get burned.

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