Holiday Safety (and some other things you may not know)

by Matt Shobert, Murrieta Fire Chief

The holiday season is upon us. As we enter this glorious season, I would like to take a few moments of your time to share some holiday safety information with you. A tragic fire, untreated illness, or injury would surely change the spirit of the next few months. Also, please remember that this time of the year can be stressful for several reasons (traffic congestion, company, crowds, expectations, expenses, weather, emotional stress and over-indulgence, etc.).

Decorations:

Inspect electrical decorations for damage before use
Do not overload electrical outlets
Never connect more than three strings of lights (be careful on ladders)
If you get a tree keep if fresh, by watering daily
Use only battery-operated candles
Keep combustibles at least three feet from heat sources (candles, fire places, space heaters)
Protect cords from damage and moisture
Check decorations for certification labels (UL – is good)
Stay in the kitchen when cooking (have an extinguisher in your home)
Turn-off, unplug and extinguish all decorations when going to sleep or leaving the house

Stress:

Stress is actually more prevalent during the holiday season. We will have more people in the stores, more cars on the streets, more visitors, higher expectations, bad weather and additional expenses on the heels of a treacherous economy.

Additionally, over indulgence and emotional stress make the holiday season the peak time for heart attacks. “The number of cardiac deaths is higher on Dec. 25 than on any other day of the year, second highest on Dec. 26, and third highest on Jan. 1” (Kam, WebMD the Magazine – The Truth Behind More Holiday Heart Attacks).

One of the reasons for this is the additional stress of the season. Another, is the over indulgence of alcohol, sodium and other unhealthy foods. Finally, people are reluctant to call 911 when they experience the tell-tale signs of a heart attack. They don’t want to call for help because they don’t want to interrupt or “ruin” the holiday for family, friends and visitors by calling 911 and going to the hospital.

This year, be extra cautious with your decorations and work to reduce and maintain stress levels. Finally, please call 911 if you experience pain in your chest, chest discomfort, difficulty breathing, rapid/irregular heart, anxiety, shortness of breath, unexplained nausea, etc.

Your family, friends and visitors will be glad you did. Happy and safe holidays to you and yours from MFD!

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