Throwing a Safe Fourth of July Party

The Fourth of July can be a great time for fun parties, yet these parties can end in disaster if you are not careful to keep your partying safe. Below are a few simple things to remember and consider when planning your party this summer.

1.Forgo the Fireworks… or at least be careful.

Fireworks are nice to look at, but they can be very dangerous. Emergency rooms see hundreds of firework injuries every year. Besides that, in many places they are illegal; even if you avoid injuries, you could end up with an expensive fine.

If you do decide to do fireworks, always have a bucket of water ready. Designate an adult to light the fireworks, and keep small children in your lap. Little ones may not understand that fireworks can burn them, and the flashing light can be very tempting to run towards.

2.If there is a pool, DO NOT leave children unattended.

Consider hiring a lifeguard, especially if there is a diving board or a slide. At online sites like Craigslist you can easily find lots of lifeguards who work at parks or other places during the week who are more than happy to lifeguard private parties on the weekend. Although it may seem like an unnecessary expense, it will be worth not having to worry that someone is drowning in your pool. Lifeguards can also be a bipartisan rule enforcer, making sure that the horsing around doesn't elevate to a dangerous level, and that no one risks injury by running in the pool area.

If you decide not to actually hire someone to watch the pool, make sure that there is always someone in the pool area at all times, even when no one is in it. It only takes a few seconds for someone to drown, and a little child can easily slip in unnoticed.

3.Designate an adult with a vehicle to stay sober throughout the party.

Even if no one plans on leaving the party, it always a good idea to have an adult available to drive should something happen. If there is a small injury, say a child breaks a limb or an allergic person gets stung by a bee, you want to have someone available who can safely drive the person to the hospital. There was a story in the newspaper last year about a person who left a holiday party drunk to drive his wife to get medicine for an allergic reaction she was having, and he ended up getting in a car accident and killing someone.

Besides having an available driver, it is also always a good idea to have someone sober to make sure that nothing gets completely out of control. Or, if the cops get called when the party gets too loud, at least you have someone sober to do the talking.