With April just around the corner, safety educators believe anyone can be an April Fool at any giving time.
You are an April Fool if:
- You don’t install and maintain working smoke alarms on every level of your home and cottage, outside sleeping areas, and inside the bedrooms.
- You don’t test your smoke alarms weekly.
- You don’t have a family home fire escape plan with two ways out of each room, and a meeting place outside.
- You smoke in bed.
- You store gasoline in the home or even an attached garage.
- You don’t store matches and lighters out of sight and reach of children.
- You leave burning candles unattended.
- You don’t unplug appliances after using them, especially the coffee maker.
- You pour flammable liquids, such as gasoline, on wood to start or rekindle a fire.
- You don’t test food that has been heated in the microwave before feeding small children.
- You let children under the age of 18 ride a bike without an approved bicycle helmet.
- You store firearms and bullets unlocked and together.
- You do not leave valuable information for the babysitter, such as emergency phone numbers, where to reach you, and address, etc. (note: there has been a case where the babysitter needed emergency personnel but had no idea what address they were at!)
- You use a ladder by yourself without tying it off and without someone holding it near the base.
- You don’t wear your seat belt when driving in a motor vehicle.
Motor vehicle accidents are still the number-one cause of accidental deaths in Canada. But many people still do not heed the wise advice police officers preach.
In all my years of responding to vehicle accidents, I have never unbuckled a dead person!
Remember, if you never need what you learn about personal safety, you have lost nothing. But if you never learn what you need, you may lose everything . . . your family and your life!
