The year is coming to an end, and for many people, the holiday season that accompanies that end is as stressful and chaotic as it is memorable and meaningful.
Amidst the maelstroms of preparing for family visits, children everywhere, rushed gift shopping, and private (and potentially distracting) moments of reflection on the year's events, a person's usual careful attention to everyday details can be overlooked. That's when disaster can strike.
Hopefully, the advice below will help seal those fleeting cracks in anyone's attention spans, ensuring the final weeks of 2024 are safe, serene and content for everyone.
Holiday travel
For people traveling during the holidays, the San Antonio International Airport (SAT) offered these key tips:
- Before arriving, travelers can guarantee a parking spot in the garages or economy green lot.
- They should familiarize themselves with the TSA's latest rules on liquids, food, and electronics to avoid delays.
- Travelers should always arrive early. SAT recommends passengers arrive two hours before boarding for Fly Away Valet or parking.
- SAT also recommends travelers use Metropolis Drive In, Drive Out to make holiday travel smoother. Upon arrival, passengers will scan a QR code and connect their license plate to their method of payment, and quickly pay for parking via the Metropolis app.
- If parking in the garages, passengers can check their bags at the tunnel connecting the short-term garage to the terminal and bypass the airline ticket counters.
More information is available here.
Shopping safety
The rush of holiday shopping has begun, either for decorations, gifts or food. Parking lots are full of cars and distracted drivers—perfect conditions for criminals waiting to strike.
The San Antonio Police Department said recently that its Holiday Crime Reduction Taskforce will patrol peak car burglary areas more frequently during the holiday season.
Drivers should be extra aware of their surroundings. Park in well-lit areas. Remove valuables from the car or keep them hidden. Keep the car locked. Stay off cell phones when walking to or from the car.
Home safety
Porch package thefts and home burglaries are common during the holiday season too, especially if the residents are at work or traveling. Residents expecting a package should tell relatives or a trusted neighbor that a delivery is coming soon.
Also, ensure the Christmas tree and gifts under the tree are not visible from the outside.
Ensure doors, windows and garages are locked and secure, and keep the exterior of the home well-lit.
Report any suspicious individuals in the neighborhood or street to the police by calling 207-SAPD. Call 911 if there’s an immediate threat.
Cooking safety
The Metropolitan Health District offered these tips for holiday cooking:
Never thaw at room temperature. Thaw frozen turkeys in the refrigerator, in cold water (changed every 30 minutes), or in the microwave. Food thawed in cold water or in the microwave should be cooked immediately.
Ensure the turkey reaches an internal temperature of 165°F in all parts. Use a food thermometer to check.
Wash hands, utensils, and surfaces thoroughly after handling raw turkey and other ingredients.
Refrigerate or freeze leftovers within two hours to prevent foodborne illness.
Decoration safety
The Christmas tree is a comforting presence in the home, but it can also spark fires.
When someone is selecting a fresh tree, fire officials advise them to make sure it's not dropping loose needles. A dry tree can be tinder if there's an electrical spark or if it's too close to flames in a fireplace. Then, cut at least two inches off the base of the trunk before putting up the tree for decorating.
Keep trees at least three feet away from fireplaces, radiators, candles or heating vents, and then turn off the tree lights before going to bed or leaving home.
The San Antonio Fire Department also asked people to not overload extension cords or outlets. Electric overloads can cause shocks and start fires. Cords should be plugged into outlets equipped with GFCIs.
Keep pathways clear and be aware of cords. Make sure all electric cords are out of high-traffic pathways and areas. Do not run cords through doorways or hide them under rugs or carpets.
Many people string up lights to decorate the outside of their homes for the holidays. Be sure to learn which lights are only for indoor use and which are only for outdoors. Finally, examine the strings of lights carefully. Replace any worn cords and broken lights.
Protect children and pets. Do not let children or pets play with light strands or electrical decorations
Visit firesafesa.com for more holiday safety tips.
Pet safety
The evenings are growing steadily cooler as the year rolls to an end, and San Antonio's Animal Care Services (ACS) wants to ensure that as people stay warm, they keep their pets warm too.
That starts with a proper shelter, which ACS defines to be three walls, a raised floor and a roof. Pets must always have access to food and water throughout the days and nights.
Tethering dogs with a chain is illegal under the Safe Outdoor Dogs Act. ACS officers will patrol for violations. Residents are advised to report animal negligence by dialing 311, the City’s customer service. To report violations online, visit saacs.info/311.
ACS also wants people to keep holiday food away from their delicate systems. "In addition to the obvious choking hazard from the holiday bird," ACS said in a statement, "traditional Turkey Day offerings can cause upset stomach and diarrhea in your pet."
ACS also encouraged pet owners to create a safe space for their animals. "Holiday gatherings can be stressful for pets," it explained. "The noise, coupled with unfamiliar faces, can lead to aggressive behavior. Giving your pet a safe place to relax away from the feast can make everyone feel more comfortable."
ACS also wants people to play with their pets before parties: "A tired pet is less likely to do something off-limits. A good play session before the guests come over can help your pet decompress and be on their best behavior."
Also, ACS had advice for people who want to give pets as gifts. Don’t surprise someone with a pet. Take them to pick the pet because their idea of the perfect pet may differ from the one gifting the pet.
Consider bringing the pet home after the holidays. Make pet supplies or a stuffed animal the gift for the expecting pet owner in order to prepare for the real one.
Keep in mind that puppies and kittens require constant attention and supervision. Pets learn good and bad habits when they’re young. Parents should expect to share caregiving responsibilities with children who receive pets as presents.
Residents can report illegal pet sales to 311.
Heating safety
When very cold weather strikes San Antonio, some residents will use space heaters to stay warm.
The Electrical Safety Foundation (ESF) recently reported that more than 65,000 house fires in the United States are due to heating equipment.
The ESF recommends residents inspect their heaters for any broken parts or loose plugs.
Heaters must be placed at least three feet away from clothing, rugs, and anything that can burn.
Owners should plug heaters into a wall outlet, not an extension cord. Before leaving a room or going to sleep, turn off the heater.
The ESF also recommends checking smoke detectors.
Sustainable celebrations
For many people, the way nature transforms itself for colder months is their favorite time of the year. The most visible signs of that change come from above: trees in San Antonio dropping their leaves as they prepare for the next stage in their cycles.
Some homeowners may see them as a mess and try to clean them up. But horticulturalists want them to leave the leaves alone. They may look like a mess, but those leaves on the ground are performing one last important job. They're turning into a slow release fertilizer and sending their nutrients into the soil.
It is OK, however, to mow the leaves when trimming the lawn. Chopping them up will make the lawn look better and stay healthier in the spring and summer.
Also, the San Antonio's Office of Sustainability offered some guidance on how to have a greener holiday season.
For example, use reusable plates, cups and silverware for parties, instead of disposable items. It will save money too.
People should try to avoid buying too much. To prevent food waste, communicate what dishes are being made with the party's contributors to prevent duplicates. Hosts should also plan portions carefully, and don’t prepare way too much.
The blue, brown and green carts
Holiday meals leave behind a lot of scraps and trash. But not everything should be thrown away in the trash. The City offers a smarter and greener way to dispose of it all.
Put these in the blue recycling cart:
- Cardboard boxes from online shipping
- Plain wrapping paper
- Empty plastic bottles and jugs
- Empty glass bottles and jars
- Empty tin and aluminum cans
Don't put these in the blue recycling cart:
- Styrofoam packing from inside shipping boxes
- Foil or glitter wrapping paper
- Plastic bags, not even if they are bundled together
- Mirror glass or glass ornaments
- Any other type of metal besides tin and aluminum cans
- Anything that can tangle, such as cords, string, strands of lights, wire hangers and hoses
Don't put these in the brown trash cart:
- Batteries of any kind. Instead, they should be taken to Household Hazardous Waste.
- Coals from the grill
- Ashes from the fireplace
- Candles from the mantle
Put these in the green recycling cart:
- Tree limbs
- Live poinsettias and amaryllis
- Food scraps to make compost
Remember: ‘If a worm can eat it – green it!’
Don't put these in the green recycling cart:
- Tree stands, lights and ornaments, wreaths, garlands with florist wire
- Plastic pots that poinsettias and other plants come in
Fireworks safety
The holidays will officially come to an end in late December, but the celebrations will continue. Fireworks will light the Alamo City's skies to mark the new year.
But, as usual, expect the fire department and enforcement officers to keep a close eye on the festivities.
Officials caution that fireworks aren't only dangerous; they might also be illegal, depending on where you are. It’s legal to use fireworks in unincorporated areas of Bexar County, but there are still rules that should be followed.
No fireworks within 600 feet of a hospital, school or church, or within 100 feet of gas stations or any place where flammable liquids or flammable compressed gasses are stored or dispensed.
They shouldn’t be used within 100 feet of any fireworks stand.
Fines can be up to $150 plus court costs, and fines for violating the city’s rules can be up to $2,000.
