FirstEnergy, parent company of West Penn Power, is advising residents to stay safe as they decorate their homes for Halloween and partake in seasonal activities.

Celebrating safely will ensure Halloween lovers of all ages remain safe and electricity flows reliably this season.

“Halloween is a peak time of year for spooky celebrations and activities, but it also has the potential to present some truly scary electrical hazards if simple precautions aren’t taken,” said Candace Webb, manager of public safety at FirstEnergy. “As children and adults celebrate the holiday, we want them to know where potential electrical or fire risks exist so they can take the steps needed to minimize them.”

Safety measures for those decorating for Halloween are:

· Never put decorations on or near utility equipment like poles and transformers

· Inspect the cords of lights and decorations before use for cracked, frayed or bare wires, damaged sockets or loose connections. Also, if a cord is hot, don’t use it.

· Don’t use staples or nails to secure lights and decorations, as they can damage electrical cords.

· Only use decorative lights that have the UL seal on the tag. Red UL marks indicate the lights are approved for indoor or outdoor use, while green indicates indoor use only.

· Outdoor lights and decorations should only be plugged into outlets with ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs.)

· Indoor lights should not touch curtains, carpet or furniture.

· Traditional candles should be replaced with flame-free options that are battery powered.

· Flammable decorations like corn stalks or bales of hay, should be placed far from any open flames or heat sources like candles, heaters and light bulbs.

· Keep a well-lit path for trick-or-treaters that is clear of tripping hazards.

· Carry a flashlight or add reflective tape, LED shoelaces or glow sticks to costumes to make children more visible in dim or dark surroundings.

· Go trick-ortreating in well-lit areas, walk in groups and use sidewalks and crosswalks when possible.

· Motorists should be aware of children crossing the street on trick-or-treat night and know their neighborhood’s trick-or-treat hours.

FirstEnergy encourages residents to report any issues with streetlights before Halloween so they can be addressed as soon as possible by calling 888-544-4877 or reporting the issue at firstenergycorp.com.