Law Enforcement, Healthcare Workers Urge Safety This Holiday Weekend

As the Labor Day weekend kicks off, safety is top of mind for first responders and healthcare workers as families enjoy the holiday.  

The last summer holiday of the year is going to be a hot one across Green Country. 

A reminder from St. Francis not to underestimate the power of sunscreen: 

“The UV index for this weekend is gonna be above 8 for all three days. So that means within 15 to 20 minutes your child could be getting a sunburn,” St. Francis Children's Hospital Director Dr. Travis Campbell said at a news conference Friday.  

On the roads, Oklahoma Highway Patrol Lt. Chris Arnall reminds everyone not to drink and drive. He said almost half of the crashes during Labor Day weekend the past two years involved an impaired driver.  

"We haven't had very good Labor Day weekends lately,” Arnall said. “The last two years, we've had 25 fatalities. We had 15 in 2021. Had 10 last year in 2022, and that's way too many."  

No matter where families are enjoying the holiday weekend, Campbell encourages everyone to stay hydrated as the heat makes a comeback.  

"We have had a little bit more dehydration admissions, secondary to the increased heat, especially over the last previous two weeks,” he said.  

"Lastly, get off that cell phone,” Arnall said. “Don't need to be on the cell phone. We're having a lot of inattentive driving crashes as a result lately." 

The organization Safe Kids Tulsa also urges parents to double-check they have the correct size and style car seat for their children.