Memorial Weekend

Memorial weekend is the traditional start to summer.

As you are enjoying time outdoors with friends and family, please follow these practical safety tips from cooking, to swimming, to boating. We want everyone to have a very SAFE Memorial Day Weekend!

BBQ Safety

• Never use a grill indoors including garages, overhangs and canopies
• Grills must be at least 30 feet from any multifamily apartment dwelling.
• When using a grill at your single-family home, homeowners should use a 10-foot perimeter from anything combustible, including your house.
• Do not allow children and pets to play near a grill.
• Only use approved ignition fluids—never use gasoline to ignite a grill.
• Keep a fire extinguisher, garden hose or bucket of sand nearby to douse a grill fire.
• Inspect your grill before you ignite to ensure everything is in working order.

Water Safety

• Know how to perform CPR on children and adults.
• Always watch your children; never leave them unattended.
• Keep children away from pool drains, pipes and other openings.
• Have a phone close by at all times.
• If a child is missing, check the pool first.
• Keep emergency numbers and rescue equipment (lifesavers, poles, etc.) poolside.
• Never leave a child unsupervised in or around a swimming pool, even for a moment.
• Tie up long hair securely to prevent it from getting caught in the drain.
• Never rely solely on a personal floatation device to protect a child.
• Never dive in water less than nine feet deep.
• Refrain from horseplay around the pool area.
• If the pool area looks "too deep" for you, you're probably right.
• Homeowners should install four-sided isolation fencing, at least five feet high, equipped with self-closing and self-latching gates that completely surrounds the pool and prevents direct access from the house and yard.
•  Homeowners should outfit the pool with an alarmed device that will notify residents when someone enters the pool area.
• Air-filled swimming aids such as "water wings" are not substitutes for U.S. Coast Guard-approved personal flotation devices.
• Always wear U.S. Coast Guard-approved personal floatation devices.
• Children and adults should never swim alone; always use the "buddy" system.
• Never rely on lifeguards to supervise your children.
• Never underestimate the depth of a body of water.

Boating Safety

• Before you board any watercraft/boat, make sure, the pilot of that ship has completed a boating safety course approved by the U.S. Coast Guard.
• Always wear a personal floatation device and make sure it's buckled.
• Don't let children operate personal watercraft such as jet skis.
• Never consume alcoholic beverages of any type while you are a pilot or passenger of a water vessel.
• Refrain from swimming near a marina or dock connected to electrical service lines.

Travel Safety

• Plan for extra time to get to your destination.
• Get plenty of rest prior to driving on a long trip.
• Check weather forecast for all major cities along your route.
• Stay calm, road rage often leads to tragedy.

And remember to pay tribute to the U.S. men and women who died during military service, the real reason for the holiday. Please observe a minute of silence at 3:00 p.m., local time.