Halloween Safety!

by California Casualty | Safety | 0 comments

It’s almost Halloween! 

Halloween is one of my all-time favorite holidays. I love all the planning, decorating, and carving… and of course the pumpkin seeds.

But in the excitement over costumes and candies, it’s easy to forget Halloween Safety. 

Whether you’re headed out with the trick-or-treaters or manning the door to pass out candy at your home, we’ve put together some safety reminders:

For trick-or-treating with children:

1. Make sure all swords, play knives, or similar costume accessories are soft, short, and flexible
2. Never let children trick-or-treat alone.  Make sure they are walking in groups with a trusted adult.
3. Map out a safe route with your kids so you know where they will be
4. Set a designated time for them to return home or check in with you
5. If you are trick-or-treating with children, make sure you have enough other adults with you to keep a headcount as you go
6. Fasten reflective tapes to costumes and bags to help drivers see trick-or-treaters – the brighter the costumes, the better!
7. Attach your child’s name, address, and phone number somewhere inside their costume
8. Look both ways before crossing the street!
9. If possible, cross at a crosswalk or a corner. If traveling with a group of trick-or-treaters, have them link hands when crossing
10. Try to walk on sidewalks as much as possible. If you have to walk along the edge of the road, stay as far to the edge as possible and walk facing traffic
11. Carry a flashlight with you—and give one to each child–to help you and others see
12. Encourage kids to walk from house to house, never run
13. Check to make sure kids are wearing well-fitted masks (or better yet- face paint!), costumes and shoes to avoid tripping or blocking your vision
14. Check over treats before letting kids start eating them- check to make sure they are still commercially wrapped and not tampered with and that they do not present a choking hazard
15. Always test make-up in a small area first to check for allergies before applying it to large areas like the face. Be sure to remove all makeup before bedtime to prevent skin and eye irritation
16. Remind kids:
    1. Enter homes only if you are with a trusted adult.
    2. Only visit well-lit homes
    3. Never accept rides from strangers
    4. Never walk near lit candles or luminaries. Be aware of tails, long trains, and other dragging costume accessories when near jack-o-lanterns or other decorations with active flames.
    5. Harmless pranks are often a part of Halloween. Make sure you explain that while you want them to have a good time, some tricks could hurt other people or vandalize property
17. Provide kids with a substantial, healthy meal to help cut back candy consumption

To prepare your home for trick-or-treaters

1. Make sure the outside areas of your home, especially the walking area and stairs, are well-lit and free of obstacles
2. Be sure to turn on all your exterior lights
3. Keep candle-lit jack-o-lanterns and luminaries away from doorsteps, walkways, landings, and curtains. Place them on sturdy tables, keep them out of the reach of pets and small children, and never leave them unattended. Use battery-operated candles in any outdoor or child-accessible decorations
4. Drive slowly all evening!
5. Keep pets away from the door so they don’t scare—or get scared by—trick-or-treaters.
6. Report any suspicious or criminal activity to your local police or sheriff’s department
7. Make sure you do not pass out candy that is a choking hazard to younger children

Have a Spooky, Scary, and Safe Halloween!

Bullying Prevention

by California Casualty | Safety | 1 comment

It’s October! Aside from the month of changing leaves, spooky Holidays and falling temperatures, October is also…

National Bullying Prevention Month!

In the last several weeks, several bullying-related stories have been making waves in national headlines.

There was the high school student whose Homecoming nomination turned out to be a malicious prank, the TV news anchor whose weight became a national story, the blogger whose fear of a vicious blog ‘troll’ drove him off the Internet, the list goes on…

But each of these stories also highlights a growing trend on our national response to bullies. Rather than join in on the criticism, we have come together to say that this behavior will not stand.

The community rallied around that Homecoming Queen, cheering the high school girl on as she took the Homecoming stage looking gorgeous and confident in her red dress. We wrote hundreds of letters to that TV anchor, reminding her that she is so much more than her weight. We applauded the blogger for not only confronting the teen who made him fear for his life, but for forgiving him.

And it wasn’t just us who took a stand. It was the victims themselves. Rather than let those bullies get away with their behavior, they spoke up. And then they spoke out. They sounded the alarm that this behavior was going on, then they stood up for themselves.

When Leo Trayner, a blogger in the UK, met the 17-year-old man who had threatened his wife and family, he had this to say to him:

Look at me. I’m a middle-aged man with a limp and a wheeze and a son and a wife that I love. I’m not just a little avatar of an eye. You’re better than this. You have a name of your own. Be proud of it.

And you know what? His story went viral. 913 people commented on his story, applauded him for his bravery and thanking him for speaking up.

When Whitney Kropp, the 16-year-old who was nominated for Homecoming Queen as a cruel joke, spoke of her abuse, she told other victims of bullying:

Stand up for what you believe in and go with your heart and go with your gut. That’s what I did, and look at me now. I’m just as happy as can be! I can just prove all these kids wrong … I’m not the joke everyone thinks I am.

And Jennifer Livingston, the news anchor attacked for her weight, had this to say–on air–to every single person who has ever been hurt by the words of others:

To all of the children out there who feel lost, who are struggling with your weight, with the color of your skin, your sexual preference, your disability, even the acne on your face, listen to me right now: Do not let your self-worth be defined by bullies. Learn from my experience — that the cruel words of one are nothing compared to the shouts of many.

These three brave individuals teach us so much about bullying. They show that:

• Bullying affects people of all ages and types
• Victims of bullying are not alone
• Victims of bullies have nothing to be ashamed of– it is the bullies who bare the blame
• Standing up and speaking out will help not just you, but all of us, overcome bullying
• Bullies do not define who we are. We do.
• Standing up to bullies is hard, but once you do, you’ll have your community behind you for support

Bullying is a national issue. It’s not a teen issue, a school issue, or an Internet issue.

It’s an everyone issue. 

We’ve made progress, but we still have a long way to go. There are still people out there–of all ages, from all walks of life–that deal with bullies every day. We still have victims of bullying who suffer in silence.

So this National Bullying Prevention Month, may we rise to the challenge. May victims of bullying everywhere feel the courage and support to stand up and speak out. And may we stand up to support and heal them when they do.

For resources on how to address bullies, click here. 

Car Seat Safety

by California Casualty | Safety | 0 comments

Car crashes are the number one killer of children 1 to 12 years old in the United States.

As part of National Preparedness Month, today we will be talking about Car Seat Safety (it’s also National Child Passenger Safety Week!)

Just how important is making sure your child is buckled in correctly to an age and size appropriate car seat?

On average, 2 children are killed and 325 are injured in car accidents every day.* This fatality rate could be reduced by about half if the correct child safety seats were always used.**

So how can you check to make sure you are using the correct car seat in the correct way for your child?

Check out these great recommendations for car seats and boosters as well as installation and maintenance tips.

To make sure your child’s seat is the correct one installed in the correct way, you should have it inspected by a certified technician. Often, these certifications are free. You can find a location close to you by clicking here.

We also wanted to share a great tip with you that we found and shared on our Firefighter Pinterest board. It started with this photo:

In this photo, you can see the parent has attached Emergency Contact and Medical Information.

When we found this Pin, it was shared by a Firefighter/Paramedic. He commented that this kind of information is critical in the event of a car crash. In case the driver is separated from the child or otherwise unable to communicate medical information to First Responders, securing vital information to a car seat will help provide EMTs with potentially life-saving information.

While some newer car seats come with a spot for this information, many do not. Even if your child’s car seat does not have a specific spot for this info, you can secure it to the seat yourself. Simply write up the information (we recommend using bright or neon paper so it’s more noticeable) and use waterproof, clear tape to secure it to your car seat. 

Here are some suggestions on what to include:

• Child’s Name
• Date of Birth
• Parent Identification and Contact Information (Names and Phone Numbers)
• Emergency Contact Information (Name and Phone Number)
• Primary Physician/Pediatrician Information
• Any known medical conditions
• Any known allergies
• Any relevant medical information

No matter how safe of a driver you are, remember that there are other drivers on the road and that accidents happen every day. Help safeguard your child’s safety by having your car seat inspected and by securing contact and medical information to your child’s car seat.

Sources:
*Based on National Highways Traffic Safety Administration c2010 Crash Data
**Based on the latest mortality data currently available from the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics

National Preparedness Month

by California Casualty | Safety | 0 comments

It’s officially September!

Goodbye Summer sunshine, hello Fall foliage!

Aside from being the season of cider and sweaters, Fall is also…

National Preparedness Month.

Here at CalCas, we will be celebrating by posting weekly Preparedness content right here on our Blog 🙂

First on deck: A Preparedness App!

As a recent iPhone converter, I am all aboard the App train. I’m always on the lookout for exciting new stuff and this new app from the Insurance Information Institute is one such find!

It’s called the “Know Your Plan” App and it’s all about streamlining your Disaster Prep Plans.

What you should know about this App:

• It’s Free!
• It’s a service of the Insurance Information Institute
• It’s for iPhones
• You can find it in iTunes

What it provides:

1. A library of preloaded preparedness checklists for disasters including:
1. Hurricanes
2. Floods
3. Earthquakes
4. Tornadoes
5. Severe Cold
6. Wildfires
7. Evacuation
2. Tips for preparing an emergency kit
3. Important property protection information
4. Step-by-step preparedness tips
5. Custom lists for your personalized preparedness plan
6. Targeted task completion dates
7. Tools to chart your progress (including a countdown feature!)
8. Checklists share options for family and friends
9. Evacuation resources (even one for pets!)
10. Geotargeted emergency alert feeds for up-to-the minute information about local evacuation routes and other disaster information
11. User-customizable notes

As Fall and September swing into full gear, make sure you are ahead of the curve when it comes to Disaster Preparedness.

After all, you never know when you may need it.

By compiling disaster preparedness information and plans all in one place–on your phone–you are putting life-saving plans in place.

Stay tuned for more great Preparedness content throughout the month!