GLENDALE : Holiday Safety Reminders Issued

Drunk driving, faulty heaters and fireplaces, unsafe Christmas gifts and other holiday hazards are being targeted by the Glendale Fire Department in a year-end safety campaign.

Fire officials have scheduled two holiday safety events in December and this week they launched a public information drive to alert residents and businesses about everything from safe home-heating methods to safe decorations and lighting for the Christmas tree, said Reams Freedman, an administrative analyst with the department.

“Holidays are exciting for children and adults, a time when normal routine is changed,” Freedman said. He said people often become distracted from the dangers lurking in ordinary things, such as candles, matches, foods, plastic bags that can cause suffocation and household chemicals.

The department’s list of holiday safeguards includes information on how to select toys for young children.

Toys that look or smell like food, such as scented markers or doll accessories, are not recommended because of the danger of choking, as are those with chains, string or bands long enough to encircle a child’s neck.

Parents should also avoid toy darts, arrows, air-powered guns and other toys that can cause eye injuries, the department said.

The Fire Department will hold a holiday safety display at the open house of the National Guard Armory at 200 E. Colorado St. from 12:30 to 5:30 p.m. Saturday.

A special holiday safety program is scheduled from noon to 1 p.m. Dec. 7 at the Public Service Building, 141 N. Glendale Ave. For information, call (818) 548-4810.