Halloween fun depends on following good safety practices Published Oct. 22, 2011 By Staff Sgt. Swen Swearingen 6th Security Forces Squadron MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- Halloween is an exciting night to allow our children to get all dressed up, go trick-or-treating, attend parties and get FREE goodies!! As the MacDill community is looking forward to a safe and secure night of fun the hours for Trick-or-Treating on base will be from 6 to 8 p.m., Oct. 31. Harbor Bay at MacDill will be hosting their annual "Hallo-weenie Roast" from 3 to 5:30 p.m. The 6th Security Forces Squadron will be out to support this event as well, and provide parents another opportunity to get last minute safety tips for a fun-filled, yet safe evening. Independence Park, Chevron Park, Heritage Cove, Freedom Cove and Staff Circle housing areas will be open for trick or treating this year. As most residents have already departed the Wherry neighborhood, please exclude the apartments and ground-level homes and duplexes from your route. For on base trick-or-treating, an adult is required to escort all children, unfortunately the escorting adults cannot be in a costume. To ensure a safe and enjoyable trick or treating experience we ask you to follow these simple guidelines both on and off base: - During the hours of darkness or limited visibility everyone should wear or carry an illumination device such as reflective belts/reflective tape, flashlight or glow sticks to help make them visible to cars. (the 6 SFS has PLENTY, contact the below contact to get your kids a FREE glowstick!) - Adult's costumes are only allowed within the confines of club facilities or inside your personal living quarters. Costumes should be of good taste and not be designed or represent anything associated with terrorism or be perceived as a threat (i.e. toy guns). - Inform children not to eat any treats until they are brought home and properly inspected. Discard any treats that are not individually wrapped and always wash or peel all fruits. - Never go inside of someone's house, always accept the treats from the doorway only! - For safety reasons and out of consideration for others, only visit houses where the front porch lights are on. Residents, if you want children to visit your house, turn the porch light on, if not we ask that you leave it off. - Costumes should be made of flame retardant materials. If the costume is homemade, ensure to either use a fire retardant spray or fabric that has been treated with fire retardant. And if your child is going to be wearing a mask ensure the holes are big enough to see not only in front of them but peripherally as well. - For all the non-participating individuals driving on and off base pay extra attention to crosswalks, intersections and the sides of the road. Children are going to be extra excited and cutting across the street to get to other homes. Keep scanning your surroundings while driving. - Finally, for all adults, stay alert for any suspicious activity and report anything unusual to the Security Forces Base Defense Operations Center at 828-3322. The 6th Security Forces Squadron is also looking for adults who would like to volunteer to assist SF members at crosswalks and walking patrols for MacDill's 2011 Operation Pumpkin Patrol. If you are interested please contact Staff Sgt. Swearingen via email at Swen.Swearingen@us.af.mil or 828-2565 or Staff Sgt. Brown via email at Tiffany.Brown.4@us.af.mil, or call 828-2373 Oct. 27. Have a safe and adventurous night!