Smart Safety - Holiday Tips from the Army Reserve

 The holiday season is one of the most special times of the year for the Army Reserve with Soldiers and their families celebrating their own unique traditions. Many of us are eager to catch up on travel and precious time with family and friends. However, we can all do our part to avoid unnecessary risk, since they can become more prevalent when distracted by holiday activities. 

Whether you’re planning to stay home and host for the holidays or travel to be with your loved ones, getting tips from an expert can make for a smooth holiday season. One of those experts is Michael Tulley, U.S. Army Reserve Command (USARC) Safety Director, whose career is focused on mitigating risk. Through his experiences in service as a Soldier, and now a Civilian, Mr. Tulley knows firsthand that continuously reassessing hazards and adjusting mitigation strategies as conditions change is just as effective off duty as it is during a mission.

 

There are many ways we can protect our families and homes during the upcoming holiday season including:

 

• Planning and ensuring the car is safe before and during road trips
• Practicing safety as you decorate
• Following food safety standards in cooking and storing foods
• Discreetly disposing of trash from high-value items
• Being mindful of social media posts about upcoming travel

 

In this interview, Michael Tulley discusses the dynamic risk management steps used to keep Soldiers and their loved ones safe and explain how we can all practice these same safety strategies during the holiday season.

More tips:

Ways we can protect our families and homes during the upcoming holiday season include:

• Pulling over for the night to rest, waiting out poor driving conditions, and securing a sober ride are excellent examples of dynamic risk management; Inclement weather, fatigue, or drinking and driving can disrupt the best of holiday plans.

Trash can make you a target:

• Boxes from items like jewelry or electronics left curbside for trash collection provide good indicators to potential burglars about what high-value items are located in the house.
• Don't broadcast your activities over the Internet. Criminals troll through pages hoping to find tips and clues on empty houses. Posts on social media sites about an upcoming vacation can be an invitation to someone looking to burglarize your home.

Preparing food:

• Fully thaw your turkey before lowering it into a turkey frier. A frozen turkey and boiling hot oil are a recipe for a fire. Make sure all friers and grills are at least 20 feet from the house and not under the porch roofs or around combustibles. Have a fire extinguisher nearby to be ready for an unexpected fire.
• Make sure to refrigerate cooked foods within 2 hours to avoid the growth of bacteria. Consume refrigerated leftovers within 4 days.