HOUSTON — The countdown is on - we're now just days from 2024.
Ahead of what’s a long holiday weekend, emergency staff with Harris Health are sharing some important health and safety tips hoping to prevent people from ending up in the emergency room.
Watching glorious fireworks from a safe distance is recommended, but ringing in the new year by celebratory gunfire is not.
"Please do not shoot into the air, do not unload your guns into the air because what goes up must eventually come down. And sometimes unfortunately it does strike an innocent individual,” said Jonathan Garcia.
Garcia is an ER Nurse Manager at Ben Taub Hospital.
He said on Christmas, an innocent man sitting in the passenger seat of a car was struck by a stray bullet believed to be celebratory gunfire.
If you’re drinking this weekend, you're asked to do it responsibly.
"It's important to have fun during the holidays but it is also important to exercise moderation," Garcia said. "Spacing out your alcoholic beverages, staying hydrated is going to be important."
Of course, don’t drink and drive.
Safe alternatives include appointing a designated driver or using a ride share.
If you're headed to a big party, Garcia said to be mindful that the flu, RSV, and COVID cases are up. He recommends masking up or maintaining a social distance in crowded areas.
"Maintain those standard precautions that we really instilled during the pandemic,” he said.
Ben Taub Hospital is a level 1 trauma center.
Garcia said around this time of year, they see an influx in patients involved in DWI crashes, as well as shooting and stabbing victims.
He said emergency and trauma staff are ready for this holiday weekend. In addition to being fully staffed, Garcia shared that Ben Taub’s contingency plans include bringing in more ER doctors and nurses if necessary. However, they'd rather Houstonians take the proper precautions and celebrate safely.
“If you can follow all of those precautions and all of those safety tips, then it's likely you will not have to end up here," he said. "But if, unfortunately, you happen to fall into one of those categories, we're here for you 24/7."