Sheriff's Office Shares July 4 Safety Tips

Article by Tyler Waldman, Patch Editor.

The July 4 holiday can be plenty of fun, but there are also some safety risks.

The community policing unit at the Harford County Sheriff's Office shared tips Tuesday in an email on how to keep your children safe at area fireworks displays on Thursday:

• Take small children by the hand when walking through a crowd.
• Have older children use the buddy system.
• Make sure children know the name and phone number of someone to contact in an emergency. 
• Designate a meeting place, in the event you are separated.
• Make a plan ahead of time and teach children how to seek help:

1. Ask a police, fire, or EMS officer, for help.  Parade and event officials can help, too.
2. Go into a public store, and ask the cashier for assistance or to use the phone.
3. Draw attention to yourself.

If you are setting off fireworks at home, officials urged residents to follow tips from the state fire marshal.