Staying safe in Ricewood MUD this summer

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RICEWOOD MUD, June 7, 2019 - School is out, temperatures are up and it’s time for summer fun to begin. The Ricewood Municipal Utility District Board of Directors encourages our neighbors to enjoy extra time with their families and to have a safe summer. Here are several tips residents can follow to ensure a safe and happy summer.

Ricewood MUD contracts with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office and encourages residents to utilize HCSO’s safety programs. The Sheriff’s Office offers vacation safety watches of homes, child safety seat installation classes, and assault prevention courses. HCSO recommends utilizing the following tips to keep families and homes safe over the summer:

  • Set up a vacation watch through the HCSO to have Sheriff’s deputies keep an eye on your home while on vacation.
  • Practice lock, take, hide at home and out in the community. Lock vehicle doors, remove valuables whenever possible and hide valuables when it is not possible to remove them from the vehicle. The HCSO strongly recommends that residents remove all firearms from their vehicles when parking them overnight at home.
  • Before vacationing with young children, contact the HCSO for help ensuring that child safety seats are secured properly while traveling.

In May, the Katy area saw a dramatic increase in near drownings and one child fatality at home and public pools compared to last year. In order to keep family members safe, residents are encouraged to keep the following safety tips in mind near pools and other bodies of water:

  • Never go swimming alone.
  • Children should always have undistracted adult supervision when swimming, even in small “kiddie” pools. Set digital devices aside when supervising young swimmers.
  • Do not consume alcohol and swim.
  • If going to a public pool, choose one that has a trained lifeguard on duty.
  • Always keep gates to pools closed to prevent children from wandering in.

For additional tips on pool safety over the summer, watch this short video produced by Harris County Emergency Services District 48 to promote water safety. HCESD 48 is one of the fire and EMS agencies serving Ricewood MUD.

It gets hot in Texas and preventing heat injuries is important. Heat stroke, heat exhaustion, heat rash and other heat-related injuries are common in our area but are preventable.

  • Use sunscreen and light clothing to protect skin from the sun.
  • Drink plenty of water to remain hydrated.
  • Pay attention to the instructions on medications and avoid the sun if instructed to.
  • Never leave children or pets in parked vehicles.
  • Take it easy or avoid going outside during the hottest parts of the day, especially if you have a history of heat-related injuries.

When enjoying the out of doors, don’t forget to use plenty of insect repellent to keep biting and stinging bugs away from you and your children. Also, prior to allowing children to use playground equipment, look the equipment over for damage. Report any damage to the managing entity for the playground and warn other park-goers of the damage. If a resident sees any damage at Ricewood Park, please let us know immediately through the Contact us page.

The information and tips above are noncomprehensive. To obtain additional safety information, please visit these community safety organizations’ websites, linked below. These websites include information on a variety of free safety courses and services available for District residents:

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