ROCHESTER, N.Y., Wednesday, January 14, 2009—Consider Safety First during this frigid weather spell. There are some simple precautions that can keep you and your family safe against the cold and prevent house fires when using alternative heating sources. Before you head outside, use these tips to make sure you have everything you need to protect your body from the extreme winter weather and ensure you are following the Red Cross guidelines for heating your home safely too. Red Cross volunteers responded to two house fires from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. this morning.
Protect yourself from feezing tmperatures
When you prepare to go outside in severe cold weather, please remember the following:
- Most of your body heat is lost through your head so wear a hat, preferably one that covers your ears.
- Dressing in warm layers helps you retain heat. You can remove layers as you need to, if you become too warm.
- Mittens provide more warmth to your hands than gloves.
- Recognize frostbite warning signs: gray, white or yellow skin discoloration, numbness, waxy feeling skin. Seek medical attention immediately if you have these symptoms.
- Hypothermia is a serious condition. Warning signs for detecting severely low body temperature are memory loss, disorientation, incoherence, slurred speech, drowsiness, exhaustion, and uncontrollable shivering. People generally suffer from hypothermia after being over-exposed to extremely cold weather, dangerous wind chills, ice and snowstorms, freezing rain or sleet.
- Recognize the symptoms of hypothermia that can be a serious medical condition: confusion, dizziness, exhaustion and severe shivering. Seek medical attention immediately if you have these symptoms.
- Wear waterproof, insulated boots to help avoid hypothermia or frostbite by keeping your feet warm and dry and to maintain your footing in ice and snow.
- Get out of wet clothes immediately and warm the core body temperature with a blanket or warm fluids like hot cider or soup. Avoid drinking caffeine or alcohol if you expect you or someone you are trying to help has hypothermia or frostbite.
- Keep an eye on elderly neighbors and friends. Also, don’t forget to bring pets in from the cold.
Heat your home safely
If families turn to alternative heating sources out of necessity or to avoid the rising cost of oil and gas, take the following precautions:
- Do not use candles for lighting if the power goes out. Use flashlights only.
- Have your chimney connections and flues inspected by a professional and cleaned if necessary prior to the start of every heating season. Use a sturdy screen when burning fires. Burn only wood—never burn paper or pine boughs.
- If you have a portable generator and the power goes out, always plan to keep the generator outdoors—never operate it inside, including the basement or garage. Do not hook up a generator directly to your home's wiring. The safest thing to do is to connect the equipment you want to power directly to the outlets on the generator. Connecting a cord from the generator to a point on the permanent wiring system and back feeding power to your home is an unsafe method to supply a building with power.
- Create a disaster supplies kit—Get together lifesaving items in both your home and vehicle. Go to www.redcross.org for a list of materials.
- Make sure smoke alarms are working properly and replace batteries as necessary.
- Don't overload your electrical outlets. Be careful of extension cords that present hazardous walkways.
Safe travels
With snow and ice blanketing the Northeast, the American Red Cross reminds motorists to take extra care around travel this winter. During inclement weather the wisest thing to do is to stay off the roads. Keep a close watch on local weather forecasts and plan your travel around that information. Be ready by assembling and carrying the items listed below in case you have to travel or are caught by surprise during a winter storm.
Winter tavel survival kit
- Battery-powered radio and extra batteries
- Flashlight and extra batteries
- Blankets or sleeping bags
- Booster cables
- Fire extinguisher (5 lb., A-B-C type)
- First aid kit and manual
- Bottled water and non-perishable high-energy foods
- Compass and road maps
- Shovel
- Tire repair kit and pump
- Flares
- Extra clothing to keep dry
- Sack of sand or cat litter (for tire traction)
- Tow rope and knife
- Charged cell phone
- Plan long trips carefully and travel during daylight hours. Let others know your travel route, destination and expected arrival time.
- Keep your gas tank at least half full and give yourself some extra time to reach your destination.
If you find yourself on the roads during a winter storm, keep the following information in mind:
Storm survival tips
- Keep an ear tuned to the radio for the latest road conditions.
- Drive with your headlights on.
- Keep all your windows clear of snow for visibility.
- Don't drive faster than you can see ahead.
- Leave extra space between your automobile and others on the road.
- Remember bridges and overpasses usually freeze before other roads. Use caution.
- Make sure you are buckled up.
Avoid accidents by not being caught out in a storm. Do not attempt to your their vehicle during a storm to walk to safety. Instead, stranded drivers should stay with the car, tie a piece of cloth to the car's antenna, and keep the car running while using the heater 10 minutes out of each hour. People should remember to keep their interior lights on while the engine is running, and to avoid hypothermia by constantly moving their arms and legs.
For more information or to schedule an interview regarding Cold Weather Safety Tips, please call Nadine Krimow, Communications Manager at the Greater Rochester Red Cross at 585-241-4419.
About the Greater Rochester Red Cross
All American Red Cross disaster assistance is free, made possible by voluntary donations of time and money from the surrounding communities. You can help victims of local disasters in Monroe and West Ontario Counties by making a financial donation to the Greater Rochester Red Cross Local Disaster Relief Fund. This enables the Red Cross to provide shelter, food, counseling and other assistance to individuals in need. Call 585-241-4417. Contributions to the Local Disaster Relief Fund can be sent to the American Red Cross, Greater Rochester Chapter, 50 Prince Street, Rochester, NY 14607. Internet users can make a secure online contribution by visiting www.RochesterRedCross.org.