Halloween Safety and Loose Dog Attacks

 

Parents, please take a moment to remind your children how special they are and how important it is for them to review and remember their safety plans and rules as they enjoy their evening of fun because, as all radKIDS know, NO ONE HAS THE RIGHT TO HURT THEM.

~ It is always a better idea to attend a planned gathering such as those held by neighborhood community groups, churches or work sections.

~If you decide to make neighborhood rounds ensure that a parent, older sibling or trusted adult always accompany young children. Review the entire route and make sure your family knows what it is. Agree on a specific time when you should return home.

~Carry a cell phone for quick communication and remember YOUR NUMBER! Call 9-1-1 if you have an emergency, become lost or afraid. Bring a flashlight with fresh batteries to light the way. Consider adding reflective tape or striping to flashlights, costumes and Trick-or-Treat bags for greater visibility. Bring mace or pepper spray to fend off aggressive dogs.

~Remember your radKIDS rule for Sight, Sound and Distance, stay with your group and communicate where you will be going to each other. Only trick-or-treat in well known neighborhoods at homes that have a porch light on. Accept your treats at the door and never go into a stranger’s house.

~Walk, slither, and creep on well-lit streets and always use the sidewalk. If no sidewalk is available, walk to the far left edge of the roadway facing traffic. Never run. Stop at all corners, look left-right-and left again before crossing the street to check for cars, trucks, and bikes. Cross streets as a group and only at corners or established crosswalks. Don’t hide or cross the street in between parked cars. Do not cut through back alleys, fields or across yards or driveways. ~Stay on side walks and in well-lighted areas.

~Only run away from people who try to entice you with special treats. Scream, holler, make a scene and use your radKIDS skills (Hammer, Pepper, Kick) if anyone tries to grab you or force you to go with them. Children should report any suspicious incidents to their parents or guardians or to law enforcement.

~Do not eat the candy as you walk. When you get home have your parent or a trusted adult inspect your treats before eating. Don’t eat anything if the package appears to have been tampered with, opened or is not wrapped. 

~Stay alert when you see dogs. If they are on the loose, tell an adult. If they are near, do not run! Walk back slowly, look for some type of barricade or obstacle. Climb onto or into something to protect you. If someone has a pet in the front yard, don’t enter. If they answer the door with a pet you don’t know prepare to use your safety principles. Pets can get spooked on Halloween too.

Costumes & Dog Safety

 

COSTUMES:

With witches, goblins, and super-heroes descending on neighborhoods across America, here are some safety tips to help prepare your children for a safe and enjoyable trick-or-treat holiday. Halloween should be filled with surprise and enjoyment, and following some common sense practices can keep events safer and more fun.

-wear light colored costumes
-ensure you can see and breath correctly
-test it to see if you can run for safety
-watch out for candles on your walk
-fire retardant costumes are the best

Strange DOGS:

-dogs may get scared, growl and attack
-practice your dog safety techniques
-notice their ears and tail.
- avoid: walk backwards slowly
- obstacle: seek an area to hide. call your parents
 - if they attempt to bite, throw an item towards their mouth


 

No chocolate for our Pups:

Kids, please protect your pets from eating chocolate. 

Click here to read how bad it can make them feel.

In memory of Cannon Hinnant

 

 Please click the above to read about this innocent child taken by a sick person. 

 

 Please teach your children these firearm safety tips:

1. If you notice someone following you, tell someone.

2. If a person walks up to you pointing a gun or knife, run.

3. Escape fast and yell for help. If you are hurt, keep moving.

4. Hide quietly behind, under or on top of something.

5. Wait for the bad sick person to go away. Seek help.

 

If you own a gun, consider the below guidelines:

 

1. As a responsible owner, take a gun safety course with your children.

2. Tell your children to never touch a gun without having a trained person present.

3. Treat pellet, toy & real guns, as if they are loaded. Dont point a gun at loved one.

4. Store all guns unloaded, in a locked cabinet, with ammo in a separate drawer.

radKIDS On...Inhalant Abuse

Inhalant Abuse refers to the deliberate inhalation or sniffing of fumes, vapors, or gases from common household products for the purpose of getting high. Also known as Huffing, Sniffing, Bagging, Chroming or Dusting, Inhalant Abuse is a dangerously overlooked form of substance abuse. According to The Partnership for a Drug-Free America, one in five kids in the U.S. will abuse inhalants by the eighth grade - the time that preteen experimentation with inhalants peaks. Children can die the very first time they intentionally inhale a product and it can also cause brain, liver or kidney damage or lead to the use of illegal drugs or alcohol.

While young people may have a hard time getting illegal drugs or alcohol, inhalants may be easier to attain. In addition to being easily accessible, they are cheap and often off the radar for most adults.

Products include: correction fluid, rubber cement, computer keyboard cleaners, gasoline, propane, nitrous oxide, butane, glue, marking pens, spray paint, hair spray, air fresheners, whipped cream, and cooking sprays.

Parents can keep their children safe and healthy by educating them about the dangers of Inhalant Abuse. According to the Office of National Drug Control Policy, research shows that kids who learn about the risk of substance abuse from their parents or caregivers are 50% less likely to use inhalants.

Tips for talking to your child: (5-12 years old)

~Discuss what fumes are and what effects they may have on a healthy body.

~Play a game, "Is it safe to smell or touch?"

~Read product lables together, discuss directions and answer questions honestly.

~Suggest opening windows or using fans when products call for proper ventilation.

~Monitor your child's activities and friends.

~Look for "teachable moments."

Some indicators of Inhalant Abuse to watch for are: changes in friends or interests, decline in school performance, disorientation, dazed appearance, slurred speech, coordination difficulties, chemical odor on clothes and breath, red spots or sores around nose/mouth, Paint or stains on face and hands, loss of appetite, lethargy, increase and intensity of headaches, excitability and irritability, empty lighters, spray cans, plastic bags, balloons or rags with chemical odors, empty pressurized whipped cream containers.

If you find someone unconscious or if you suspect a child is under the influence of an inhalant call 911 immediately. Keep him/her calm and in a well ventilated area to reduce cardiac stress. Call Poison Control Center at 1-800-222-1222 or the 1-800 number on the label of the product and ask for specific advice related to the product used.

Visit http://www.inhalant.org/ for more information

School Safety

For most of the year, children spend more time at school than anywhere else other than their own home. At school, children need a secure, positive, and comfortable environment to help them learn.


Overall, schools are one of the safest places children can be. However, some schools have problems, such as bullying and theft, which make them less secure. These problems make students and educators feel less safe, and it makes it harder for students to learn and for teachers to do their jobs.


But there are specific ways that parents can make going to school a safer and more valuable learning experience for their children.


In the Classroom

1. Kids need a safe and comfortable environment to learn to the best of their capabilities. This means they have to feel safe in their school and be able to positively interact with their teachers and classmates. By doing the following, parents and other adults can help make sure children have a positive school experience.
2. Talk to your children about their day. Sometimes children won’t tell you right away if they are having problems at school. Ask your children if they see anyone bullied, if they are bullied, or if anything else makes them feel uncomfortable. Look for warning signs, such as a sudden drop in grades, loss of friends, or torn clothing.
3. Teach children to resolve problems without fighting. Explain that fighting could lead to them getting hurt, hurting someone else, or earning a reputation as a bully. Talk to them about other ways they can work out a problem, such as talking it out, walking away, sticking with friends, or telling a trusted adult.
4. Keep an eye on your children’s Internet use. Many elementary schools have computers with Internet access. Ask your children’s school if students are monitored when they use the Internet or if there is a blocking device installed to prevent children from finding explicit websites. Talk to your children about what they do online – what sites they visit, who they email, and who they chat with. Let them know they can talk to you if anything they see online makes them uncomfortable, whether it’s an explicit website or a classmate bullying them or someone else through email, chat, or websites.
5. Ask about the safety and emergency plans for your children’s school. How are local police involved? How are students and parents involved? What emergencies have been considered and planned for?

Traveling To and From School

1. Map out with your children a safe way for them to walk to school or to the bus stop. Avoid busy roads and intersections. Do a trial run with them to point out places they should avoid along the way, such as vacant lots, construction areas, and parks where there aren’t many people.
2. Teach children to follow traffic signals and rules when walking or biking. Stress that they should cross the street at crosswalks or intersections with crossing guards when they can.
3. Encourage children to walk to school or the bus stop with a sibling or friend, and to wait at bus stops with other children.
4. Teach children not to talk to strangers, go anywhere with them, or accept gifts from them without your permission. Tell them that if they see a suspicious stranger hanging around or in their school they should tell an adult.
5. Help children memorize their phone number and full address, including area code and zip code. Write down other important phone numbers such as your work and cell phone on a card for your children to carry with them.

On the bus

1. Have your children arrive at the bus stop at least five minutes before the bus is scheduled to pick them up.
2. Make sure children know to stand on the sidewalk or on the grass while waiting for the bus.
3. Teach children to make sure they can see the bus driver and the bus driver can see them before crossing in front of the bus. Tell them to never walk behind the bus.
4. Be aware that often bullying takes place on the school bus. Ask children about their bus - who they sit with, who they talk to, and what the other kids do. Let them know that if they see someone being bullied, or are bullied themselves, they can talk to you, the bus driver, or another trusted adult.

Why have a Good Photo of Your Child?

One of the most important tools for law enforcement to use in the case of a missing child is... an up-to-date, good-quality photograph.

Noted below are some tips for parents and guardians regarding such a photograph.

The photograph should be:

• a recent, head-and-shoulders color photograph of the child in which the face is clearly seen.
• of "school-portrait" quality, and the background should be plain or solid so it does not distract from the subject.
• in a digitized form and available on a compact disk (CD), as opposed to just a hard copy. This minimizes the time necessary to scan, resize, and make color corrects before disseminating it to law enforcement.
• an accurate depiction of the child, not overly posed or "glamorized." Nor should other people, animals, or objects be in the photograph. The photograph should not be taken outside, out of focus, torn, damaged, or very small.
• have space below is for a narrative description to Identify the childs name, nickname, height, weight, gender, eye color, marks, moles, braces and glasses.
• updated at least every six months for children 6 years of age or younger and then once a year, or when a child's appearance changes.
• All copies of child's photograph and information should be maintained in an easily accessible, secure space by the parents or guardian.
• The photograph and data should not be stored in a public database.