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About Cottage Grove sentinel. (Cottage Grove, Or.) 1909-current | View Entire Issue (July 12, 2017)
COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL JULY 12, 2017 9A Are you ready? D ISASTER P REPAREDNESS Carnival safety tips ahead of Bohemia Mining Days Stay safe and healthy this BMD weekend Provided by metrocreativeconections Carnivals, county fairs and street festivals can make for fun family outings. The nice weath- er just beckons people outdoors, and weekend after weekend resourceful carnival goers can probably fi nd a fair nearby. But revelers need to make sure their experiences are as safe as they are fun. The Outdoor Amusement Business Association estimates 500 million guests visit carni- vals, fairs and festivals each year. More than half of them participate in mobile amuse- ment rides, among other recre- ational pursuits. Such pursuits can not only be fun, but they also can be dangerous, espe- cially for young children. As a result, parents taking their kids along to enjoy this wholesome fun should consider the follow- ing precautions. * Be prepared. Research the fair or carnival and know what to expect when you arrive. How big is it? What are the types of attractions and what vendors will be included? What is the parking situation? Are strollers allowed? Knowing what to ex- pect can make the occasion a little less stressful. If your child is old enough to understand, explain what the fair entails and how it can be crowded and noisy. * Dress for the weather. It is important to wear sturdy, com- fortable footwear. Many carni- vals are set up in fi elds or empty parking lots. There will be a lot of walking, and you want to be sure you are comfortable. Check the weather before going and dress for the temperature. Wear hats to shield your faces from the sun and lather on plenty of sunblock for protection. Avoid wearing any dangling clothes and jewelry. Tie back long hair to reduce your risk of accidents on rides. * Identify security guards or a security kiosk upon entering. Let children know where safety personnel are stationed. Estab- lish a meet-up point that is very conspicuous should anyone get separated from the group. This central location will be checked fi rst and should be easily iden- tifi able for young children. In- struct the child to stay there un- til you fi nd him or her. * Put your mobile phone num- ber in your child's pocket. Put your name or "Mom/Dad" on a sheet of paper with a contact number and put it in your son or daughter's pocket. Should he or she get lost, the child can ap- proach a security guard and give that person your phone number. * Take a current photo of the kids. Use your smartphone or camera to snap a picture of your children when you arrive at the event. This way you will have a method of helping others identi- fy them should they get lost. * Observe the rides in ad- vance. Watch rides before you get in line to try them out. Fig- ure out if it is appropriate for a child and acclimate anyone who is nervous. Carnival rides often have a "you must be this tall to ride" sign at their entrance gates. * Look for inspection stick- ers. Carnival rides often have to be inspected for safety. If the ride doesn't have a current in- spection sticker, don't ride it. * Stay hydrated. Pack plen- ty of bottled water for the day. Fairs make a lot of money on concession sales, and buying beverages all day can get expen- sive. Dehydration is common when spending hours outdoors in warm weather. It can make a person dizzy and feeling sick to their stomach. If you feel thirsty, you already are dehydrated. * Eat light. If you will be rid- ing a lot of rides, it's better to eat light meals beforehand. Heavy, greasy foods in your stomach coupled with motion sickness can lead to trouble. Wait until after you have gotten your fi ll of the rides before indulging in funnel cake. * Stick together. It can be tempting to separate when you get to the carnival, as older chil- dren may not be interested in the same rides as their younger siblings. But separating increas- es the risk of someone getting lost. * Seek shelter in a storm. Thunderstorms can roll in unex- pectedly. Remember, lightning will seek the easiest method to reaching the ground. Tall rides could be strike points. Get out of the weather and move in- doors or to a car if possible. Carnivals and fairs are staples of the warm-weather season across the country. These enjoy- able outings are even more fun when families play it safe. Safe campfi re tips After building your campfi re, completely put it out when you are done. Thousands of acres of wilder- ness are burnt from carelessness with regard to campfi res. * Put out the fi re a half hour to an hour before you plan to leave the campground. There should be mostly ash and few chunks of coal left if you have planned accordingly and started to wind down the fi re before extinguishing it. * Use a stick to stir up the wood and ash and distribute the burning coals and embers. This is to ex- tinguish any remaining fl ames as much as you can. * Pour water over the hot ashes to drown all embers. It's not just the red embers you have to worry about. Pour water until all the hissing sounds stop. Avoid standing directly above the fi re when you pour the water because it will generate a lot of steam and smoke. If you do not have water on hand, mix dirt or sand with the embers to smother the fl ames. Continue to do so until the material is cool. * Stir the ashes again with a shovel or stick to further ensure the fi re is not still burning. * Make sure everything is wet and cold to the touch before you leave the campsite. If the fi re area is too hot to the touch, it's too hot to leave it because a fi re may reignite. * Once you feel that everything is cool, you can scoop the coals and ash into a bag and carry it out of the woods for disposal. W I L D F I R E S A F E T Y TIPS & COLORING ACTIVITY Fire Prevention with Campfi re Safety I n the United States, nearly nine out of 10 wildfi res are caused by people not being careful. Help Smokey prevent these types of fi res by learning to be careful and helping oth- ers do the same. Make sure that the grownups building your next campfi re follow all the rules below, and tell them to check out Campfi re Safety to learn even more. Make sure you are at a site that allows campfi res Make sure there are no burn bans and it’s not too windy Dig a pit away from overhanging branches Circle the pit Th is message brought to you by these sponsors: Lion’s Mane Jim Th orpe Lumber Products Kimwood South Lane County Fire and Rescue Joseph Osborn Plumbing Th e Tractor Store Hitch Pro & Tow Fountain Gutters Brooks Auto Parts Tax Advantage Brad’s Cottage Grove Chevrolet Cascade Home Center Cottage Grove Sentinel with rocks Clear a 10-foot area around the pit down to the dirt, removing anything that could catch on fi re Stack extra wood upwind and away from fi re Aft er lighting, throw the match into the fi re Never leave a campfi re unattended; an adult should supervise the campfi re at all times Keep a bucket of water and shovel nearby Never put anything but wood into the fi re Do not pull sticks out of the fi re Do not sit on the fi re ring or rocks around the campfi re. Th ey will heat up quickly and they’ll stay hot for a long time When it’s time to put the fi re out, dump lots of water on it, stir it with a shovel, then dump more water on it. Make sure it is COLD before leaving the campsite. If it’s too hot to touch, it’s too hot to leave! And remember, Smokey’s friends nev- er play with matches, lighters, lighter fl uid or other fl ammable liquids. If you fi nd any of these items, tell a grownup where they are. If you see younger children playing with them, tell them to stop, and then tell a grownup. Kids who help prevent wildfi res deserve a Smokey Bear Hug.