The annual message of Halloween safety between emergency services and partners began as a UNICEF effort to create a safe space for young ambassadors for the program while trick-or-treating some three decades ago.

Although UNICEF pivoted towards more global, and less local fundraising efforts 20 years ago, the annual messages from experts to keep kids Halloween safe have continued.

Ellen Percival, co-founder and editor of Calgary’s Child Magazine has been leading the charge for a safe spooky season for that entire time, as one of the original partners in the safety messaging program.

“I’m happy to say, for the most part, I think we’re successful because we don’t hear any stories of kids running into trouble,” she said.

“Kids know, they respect these services in the city—fire, police, EMS– and so it’s that connection to the community, their trusted partners any time, whether it’s Halloween trick or treating or any day of the year.”

As in past years, a key part of this year’s safety messaging is that if children do run into trouble, they can turn to Calgary police and peace officers, firefighters, paramedics, and even transit operators for help.

On Oct. 31, all of those services will be operating at heightened levels throughout the city from 6 to 8 p.m. to provide safety during peak trick-or-treat times.

Decades of safety success

Mayor Jyoti Gondek said that the annual messaging has been a cornerstone of safety in the community for decades and that it has been the continued support of Calgary’s Child Magazine along with first responders that have made it a success.

“I’d also like to point out that because of the work that’s been done over the decades, it’s been critical in creating that community spirit and the sense of community pride that helped Calgary become a treat accessibly city one where children with disabilities are given the opportunity to have an accessible place to trick or treat with their families,” she said.

Among the top tips this year being offered to stay safe, include being road safe throughout the evening.

“This clearly is a night for the youngsters, so from about four years up to about 16, they’re out on the streets. But the priority for them is safety. They get really excited, obviously, they see their friends on the other side of the road and they want to get to them on the other side of the road,” said Insp. Andy Woodward with the Calgary Police Service Traffic Section.

“You need to stop. They need to think. They need to look for any vehicles that are coming along.”

Drivers too, he said, have a responsibility to be extra aware of trick-or-treaters who may not always be paying attention to the rules of the road—and on parents and guardians to keep kids safe.

“No running across the road, so stop and when we want to cross. Make sure it’s safe to cross at any time. No zig-zagging, because that does cause problems to the motorists and for the motorists out there. If you’re driving around a neighbourhood that is busy with children, please bear that in mind,” Woodward said.

“I just want to give a little bit of a warning to say with your parents or a trusted adult for tomorrow evening’s trick-or-treating. For the older trick-or-treaters, I want you to stay in smaller groups that stay together. If you are at any time lost and you got a cell phone with you, then obviously, ring your parents and tell them where you are.”

Being costume safe means having a safe trick-or-treat

Adam Loria, a Public Education Officer with Alberta Health Services EMS, had several messages to share about being costume-safe during the evening.

“Ideally have children try on their costume before Halloween to make sure that it all fits, that includes shoes, clothing and all accessories should be comfortable and not impede vision or the ability to walk, especially when navigating stairs,” Loria said.

He said that parents should help their children avoid extremely dark costumes, or costumes that are all black because they make it hard for motorists to see them crossing roadways.

“Instead, try to choose costumes with bright colours. Consider adding reflective tape to apparel or accessories, so that you are a bit more visible to motorists specifically,” Loria said.

“All costumes, and all accessories such as sticks, rods, wands, etc, should be soft and flexible with no sharp edges.”

Loria said that costumes ideally should also be large enough to fit over warm clothing.

In one of his first official acts as Calgary’s Junior Fire Chief Kyrie Rajic, shared an important fire safety tip for Halloween, as people put their pumpkins out for trick-or-treaters

“Use LED candles instead of real candles for pumpkins in case of any of the decorations get in the way of the fire,” he said.

That risk became an issue during last year’s Halloween, said Calgary Fire Department Public Information Officer Carol Henke, given the flammability of some costumes that were worn and the decorations that were used.

“Last year, we had some folks that decided to have fire pits at the end of their driveways and then left them unattended. Huge fire risk, especially for those kiddos with the cool costumes, which can be quite flammable,” she said.