Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Another Potential Storm On Way - Be Prepared!

Surprise, surprise another potential storm is on the way! While there is still some debate as to how much, if any, snow accumulation there may be, there appears to be one weather element all of the forecasters agree upon – high winds! As many of you are all too aware, high winds can mean no electricity for your homes for extended periods of time.


As I always stress here – BE PREPARED!

One particular piece of the preparedness issue I want to hit is making sure you use BATTERY POWERED lighting equipment if your power goes out and you need some light! I saw a local news story this morning which caused me great distress as they interviewed one local young lady who stressed that she needed to make sure she had plenty of candles in case her power went out at night. If that were not enough, they then interviewed another MC family that had a power outage the last storm and they hit upon candle use and the camera showed a picture of a burning candle on this family’s WOOD table without any holder or non-combustible plate beneath it! YIKES! A potential disaster within a disaster there!

As I posted during all of our winter storms, please make sure you keep your local fire hydrant clear of any snow so that our people can readily see them and use them in case of fire.

Please take some time to prepare for this potential storm. If anything less than the worst occurs, then you will be more than ready! But please take a moment to click below and review some steps you should take, and some items you should have on hand, to prepare for the weather.

Winter Weather Tips

Winter Storms

Disaster Preparedness

Fireplace Safety Tips

Candle Safety - As some of you will use them regardless! : )

Delays, Closings, & Other Information Due to Winter Storms & Emergencies

Stay Safe,
Bill

Friday, February 19, 2010

Help Your Fire Department – Adopt-a-Hydrant

Please help the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service by “adopting” the fire hydrant closest to your home or business and keeping it free of snow, leaves and other debris. Recent snow storms, combined with the after-effects of plowing roads and parking lots, have left many fire hydrants partially or completely buried in snow.


Please take a couple of minutes to uncover your fire hydrant after each and every snowfall. Clear a path approximately 3 feet around the hydrant and shovel a path from the street or roadway up to the fire hydrant. By keeping fire hydrants clear of snow, the public can help firefighters to easily locate them and access water quickly, preserving valuable time during an emergency.

Please consider helping a neighbor with a medical condition or who is elderly by shoveling out a hydrant in front of their home. Remember, quick access to fire hydrants benefits everyone.

The “adopt-a-hydrant” program in Montgomery County is an informal program and therefore it is not necessary to advise the fire department which fire hydrants you will be clearing snow from. Thank you for helping keep Montgomery County safe!

# # #

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

A quick tutorial on how to find your neighborhood fire hydrant on line

Thanks to all of you out there who have been helping us by clearing the snow out from around your local fire hydrant. Actually, I guess I should say dig your fire hydrant out from under the snow!


On a previous post, I made you aware of an on-line took that might help you find your fire hydrant: Go Here to access

Many of you, including me, have found the process rather challenging. To help with that, I have produced a quick tutorial on how to find you neighborhood fire hydrant on line. I hope this helps and PLEASE continue to try and dig the hydrants out!  For more on that: Clearing Fire Hydrants

To find the on-line tool in question just click here: Montgomery County map viewer

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Milestone residents "dig in" for fire safety

I received a great video (below) from a member of the Milestone community (Germantown). It is an informational video showing how to find and dig out fire hydrants. The community has come together and many folks are out in the community trying to help us by digging out their nearest fire hydrant. Thanks to all of you in the Milestone community for your help in this very important fire safety initiative.


Thanks also to all of our county residents who are also locating, and digging out, their fire hydrants so that they are easier for us to find and use!

Stay Safe,

Bill Delaney
Program Manager - Community Safety Education
Division of Community Risk Reduction Services
Montgomery County Fire & Rescue

Fire Fighter Bob Talks About Keeping Your Fire Hydrant Clear of Snow

MCFRS is asking all community members to please make sure we can see, and have access too, the fire hydrants in your community.

Monday, February 15, 2010

Use Extreme Caution When Driving and Walking

Montgomery County officials are urging residents to use extreme caution when driving and walking, since visibility is still limited by large snow banks, and some sidewalks are still hidden under mounds of ice and snow.


- Drivers should watch for pedestrians in the roadway, particularly at night when visibility is more difficult. Other safety tips for drivers include:

- Slow down and obey the posted speed limit.

- Stop for pedestrians at crosswalks and intersections- it's the law ( http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/content/DOT/dir/pedsafety/documents/md_ped_law.pdf )

- Don't block crosswalks when stopping at intersections.

- Take extra care around schools, playgrounds, and neighborhoods.

- Always look out for pedestrians, especially before turning at a green light or making a "right turn on red."

- Obey signs, signals and markings--and never run red lights.

- Be careful when passing stopped vehicles. They might be stopping for pedestrians.

- Share the road. It is your responsibility to look out for others.

Pedestrians who have to walk in the street because there may not be an accessible sidewalk following the past week’s record-breaking snowfall should walk facing traffic so they can see the vehicles coming toward them. Other pedestrian safety tips include:

- Stay visible after dark and in bad weather with reflectors or retroreflective clothing.

- Cross the street at marked crosswalks and intersections whenever possible.

- Stop and look every time before crossing streets, even when you have the right-of-way, and especially at intersections with “right turn on red.”

- Before crossing, look left, right, then left again, and over your shoulder for turning vehicles.

- Begin crossing the street on “Walk” signals – never on a solid or flashing “Don’t Walk.”

Winter Weather Advisory

Clipper to bring accumulating snowfall to the region again tonight. Cold and snowy pattern to remain in place for the next few weeks.

The National Weather Service has issued a WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY for Montgomery County until 3am Tuesday. 1-3'  1-3" of snowfall forecast this afternoon and tonight.

Satellite images indicate a clipper type low pressure system approaching from the Ohio valley. This system is expected to move East and affect the County over the next 24 hours.

A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY is issued when frozen precipitation is expected which may impact travel. Travel during the Tuesday Morning rush hours may become hazardous. Caution should be used during any travel.

SKYWARN spotters are asked to relay all snowfall reports to the Montgomery County Office of Emergency Management and the NWS Office in Sterling, VA."

Saturday, February 13, 2010

Water Leaking Into Home Contributes to Fire

Chief Richard Bowers of the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service wants you to know that a serious fire occurred in Montgomery County yesterday. The fire last night was caused by an accidental electrical malfunction/failure of the electrical panel. A contributing factor was melting snow that leaked into the home and found its way to the electrical panel in the basement. Please take a moment to review the safety tips below to prevent this type of incident from happening to you and your loved ones.

• Clear areas around downspouts and drains so water from melting snow can flow away from your home. It also ensures melting snow does not accumulate and freeze in your gutters and downspouts thus creating an “ice dam.”

• Please Do NOT attempt to access your roof to clear the snow. Any person on the roof or performing work on the roof from below is risking injury and damage to the roof and house. It is important to contact licensed, bonded, and insured professionals to carry out this job!

• A sign that water may be impacting your electrical panel is if various breakers in the panel trip one or several times for no apparent reason. Turn your main circuit breaker to OFF and call a licensed, bonded, and insured electrician.

• If water has leaked into your home and threatens to come in contact with your electrical panel, please immediately turn your main circuit breaker to OFF. Contact a licensed, bonded, and insured professional company that deals in water damage and restoration to fix the leak as well as a call a licensed, bonded, and insured electrician!

• If your panel is sparking or you smell smoke or a burning odor, do NOT touch your panel! Immediately leave your home and call 9-1-1 from a safe location!

As always, please remember that working smoke alarms save lives! Test your alarms to make sure they are working! Make sure your family plans and practices a Home Fire Escape Plan! Know TWO ways out of every room and pick a meeting place outside where everyone will gather. Once you are out, STAY OUT!

For additional information or questions, please contact: Bill Delaney, Community Life Safety Education - @ William.delaney@montgomerycountymd.gov

“Together We Can Save Lives And Prevent Injuries”

NEWS ADVISORY - Winter Safety Tips


The Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service reminds residents of the dangers present with snow piles. With the recent record-breaking snow storms, roadside, driveway and cul-de-sac snow piles are getting bigger, but should remain off limits to children.


Children like to dig tunnels or build forts in piles of snow created by snow plows, but children risk becoming trapped by collapsing snow forts. Unstable walls and tunnels may collapse, trapping and burying a child inside. The weight of the snow collapsing on top of a child can quickly hinder their breathing, making it difficult to call for help and virtually eliminating their chances of self-rescue. The best place for children to play is under close adult supervision.

Additionally, Fire Chief Richard Bowers is asking residents to continue to clear snow from fire hydrants. The record-breaking snow accumulation combined with the after-effects of plowing roads and parking lots have left many fire hydrants partially or completely buried in snow. By keeping fire hydrants clear of snow, the public can help firefighters easily locate them and access water quickly, preserving valuable time to potentially save lives and structures.

If you have a hydrant on or near your property, please take a few minutes to clear away the snow. If you cannot clear the hydrant, please ask a neighbor or someone else who can do it for you. Remember, quick access to fire hydrants benefits everyone. Other safety reminders:

• Pedestrians should wear brightly colored clothing so drivers can see you, especially in times of poor visibility, and use reflective clothing or stickers for maximum visibility.

• Never go out on frozen ponds, lakes or creeks. It's impossible to judge the strength of ice by its appearance, thickness, daily temperature, or snow cover alone. Ice strength is also dependent on water depth under the ice, the size of the water and water chemistry, currents and distribution of the load on the ice. The only safe ice is at the skating arena.

• Ensure your house numbers are visible and can be easily seen. Do this at night time as well.

Friday, February 12, 2010

Danger May Lurk Above!


Well, I hope everyone is starting to get back to normal out there! I actually drove into work today!

As I was out and about, I noticed a potentially dangerous situation that may be an issue for the next several days and wanted to make all of your aware. The amount of snow on the roofs of homes and businesses has created a whole new hazard that has nothing to do with them caving in or collapsing.

The danger is from large chunks of snow or ice falling from above a hitting people, or pets, down below.

My photos above and to the right of this posting illustrate a couple of examples of the dangers. The top photo shows the front of a house with very large icicles dangling from above. I have seen even larger chunks in other places! Bottom line, they can detach and fall and can inflict fairly serious injuries to an unsuspecting person below. I took the opportunity to utilize a telescoping pole to knock the icicles off from the ground – from a safe distance.

I do not recommend you climb a ladder and get on your own roof to remove these hazards!

Likewise, the photo to the right shows a typical shopping center in the Washington-Metro area and you can see where snow has already fallen from the roof with one chunk starting to teeter on the edge. Fortunately, this particular store recognized the danger and you can also cones around that diverts people away from the danger zone.

So as you make your way about today, and for the next several days, be aware of what is going on above you. Look out for falling snow chunks or icicles!

As always - stay safe!

Bill Delaney

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Update

Here is some important information. Consult the County website at www.montgomerycountymd.gov for updates.


Useful phone numbers:

Emergencies and to report "hot" or sparking wires, especially those across roadways, call 9-1-1 (do not use for plowing questions);

Non-emergency, Police 301-279-8000;

Snow removal problems or downed trees 240-777-6000; email highway@montgomerycountymd.gov;

Power outages, call your power provider: PEPCO at 1-877-737-2662, Allegheny Power at 1-800-255-3443 or Baltimore Gas and Electric at 1-877-778-2222;

Four-wheel drive volunteers 240-777-2600; email volunteer@montgomerycountymd.gov

Shelter information/transportation 240-777-6000;

Damaged mailboxes (standard boxes) report 240-777-6000; damaged non-standard mailbox, call 240-777-8920

Residents concerned about the safety and well-being of children, elderly individuals or adults with disabilities, call the County's Crisis Center 240-777-4000.

Web sites:

County plowing policies and plans (pdf).

street missed by County plows, the County's Snow Operations.

general snow information, www.montgomerycountymd.gov.

Shelters:

Richard Montgomery High School, 250 Richard Montgomery Dr. in Rockville, remains open. Transport to the center is being handled by volunteers with four-wheel drive vehicles and by Maryland National Guard members.

Gwendolyn E. Coffield Community Center, 2450 Lyttonsville Rd., Silver Spring and Seneca Valley High School, 19401 Crystal Rock Dr., Germantown.

Sign up for Alert Montgomery to have emergency alerts, notifications and updates sent to your cell phone, e-mail, PDA, Twitter or Facebook.

Region’s Fire Chiefs Encourage Residents to Take Safety Measures as New Winter Storm Arrives

News Highlights

• Evacuate the building if you notice any of the warning signs of potential roof collapse. Call 9-1-1 if your roof collapses.

• Do not attempt to clear the snow off your roof; do clear downspouts and drains.

• Clear snow away from fire hydrants.

• Take precautions to prevent fires, including unplugging appliances after power outages.

As heavy snow continues to accumulate on flat roofs of buildings, the National Capital Region’s fire chiefs encourage residents to watch for the warning signs of a potential roof collapse. If your roof collapses, call 9-1-1.

Warning Signs of Potential Roof Collapse:

If they have a flat roof, homeowners should monitor the ceiling below the roof and look for the following signs of roof collapse:

• Sagging ceiling beneath the flat roof.

• New cracks on the ceiling drywall or plaster.

• Popping, cracking or creaking sounds.

• Doors and/or windows that can no longer be opened or closed.

Residents should evacuate their home if they notice any of these warning signs, and they should call 9-1-1 if their roof collapses. Homeowners should not try to clear snow off of their roof because they may slip and fall or hit electrical wires. However, residents should clear the areas around downspouts and roof drains so that water from melting snow can flow away from the house.

Most commercial buildings are designed to accommodate 24 inches of dense, compact or wet snow. If you notice any of the warning signs below, the building needs to be evacuated immediately:

• Sagging roof members, including steel bar joists, metal decking, wood rafters, wood trusses and plywood sheathing.

• Popping, cracking and creaking sounds.

•Sagging ceiling tiles and/or sagging sprinkler lines and sprinkler heads.

•Doors and/or windows that can no longer be opened or closed.

Roofs can fail for several reasons, including:

•Older buildings may not be designed to current standards and could be subject to problems.

•Roof drains and/or downspouts become blocked or frozen and melting snow or rain cannot adequately drain from the roof.

•Over time, additional weight is added to the roof, such as HVAC equipment or a new roof covering.

•Imbalance of snow load on roof (normally caused by drifting snow).

How to Protect Roofs After the Storm:

•Have a professional, licensed contractor remove all snow immediately from every roof surface, including roof overhangs and covered porches.

•Remove snow from side walls to prevent high snow mounds from pushing them in.

•Temporarily shore up and brace dipping or sagging roofs or walls.

•Verify that drains are clear of snow and ice to allow melting and runoff. If the roof is pitched and without drains, open paths to the eaves to ensure drainage and prevent ponding.

•Avoid ice dams by keeping the attic well ventilated, so snow doesn't melt and refreeze at the roof's edge. Also make certain the attic floor is well insulated to minimize the amount of heat rising from the house into the attic.

Clear Fire Hydrants and Vents After the Storm:

Clear snow away from all fire hydrants, so that they are easily visible in the event of a fire. Clear snow from heating and dryer vents to prevent possible carbon monoxide poisoning. Do not run generators in the home, garage, other enclosed spaces, or near exterior wall openings.

Fire Safety Tips to Follow:

•If the power goes out, turn off or unplug all appliances. When the electricity is back on, power surges can start fires. This safety precaution is especially important if computers, TVs and entertainment systems are not plugged into surge protectors.

•If the power is out, use flashlights, not candles. Candles can start fires.

•Don’t use gas or charcoal grills, propane heaters and stoves, kerosene space heaters or generators indoors because they can be fatal. Not only can these items start fires, but also they can cause carbon monoxide poisoning when used inside.

•Keep electric space heaters at least three feet away from anything flammable.

•If you are using a car to warm up, be sure the tail pipe is clear of snow or ice; a blocked tailpipe could cause carbon monoxide to leak inside your car. If you are warming up a car in a garage, make sure the garage door is open in order to prevent a build up of carbon monoxide.

•Discard fireplace ashes safely by putting them in a metal container away from the house. Ashes can stay hot for several days after a fire.

•Check the batteries in smoke alarms to make sure they are working. Have extra batteries on hand for a portable radio and flashlights.

•Make sure that all exits are snow free in case it’s necessary to evacuate the building in a fire.

•Watch out for downed power lines. Do not touch the wires or anything that the wires are touching. Contact your local utility and report the condition.

The National Capital Region — which is comprised of 11 local jurisdictions, two states and the District of Columbia — prepares for disasters collaboratively. This unique regional structure, in the area that is home to the nation’s capital with the associated elevated risks, requires an equally complex system to determine how to best and most equitably allocate scarce resources such as UASI funds.

The NCR’s elected officials, emergency management, law enforcement, fire and public health personnel, along with the nonprofit and private sectors, work together across the region’s jurisdictional boundaries to identify and prioritize projects to improve the region’s emergency preparedness and response capabilities.

###

About the National Capital Region The NCR encompasses the District of Columbia and parts of Maryland and Virginia, including the cities of Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Manassas and Manassas Park and the counties of Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, Prince William in Virginia and Montgomery and Prince George’s in Maryland, which include the municipalities of Bowie, College Park, Gaithersburg, Greenbelt, Rockville and Takoma Park.

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

How To Find Your Nearest Fire Hydrant

Many of you have been asking if there was a tool to find fire hydrants. 

Montgomery County map viewer allows you to enable the layer to show fire hydrant locations by clicking public safety, Fire rescue, Fire hydrant . Click on link below and follow the aforementioned instructions.

Montgomery County map viewer

Thanks to our Facebook friend Nicholas Belback for sorting this out!

Stay Safe!

Bill Delaney

Monday, February 8, 2010

This is how your fire hydrants should be cleared

The below posting is from our Facebook page from one of our fire fighters: Montgomery County (MD) Fire & Rescue



This is how your fire hydrants should be cleared! We need room to work. Great job to the grounds maintenance crew from the Washington Adventist Hospital


ANOTHER WINTER STORM WARNING

Another major winter storm expected tomorrow with 10-20" of snowfall possible. This amount of snowfall may cause roof collapses in some areas. Roads will become extremely dangerous and travel should be discouraged. Additional power outages are likely. Event onset is around noon tomorrow and travel may become extremely difficult if not impossible tomorrow.


The National Weather Service has upgraded the Winter Storm Watch to a WINTER STORM WARNING. This Warning is effective until Wednesday.

A WINTER STORM WARNING means that significant amounts of snow, sleet, or freezing rain are expected or are occurring in the warned area.

Travel disruptions within the County and region are likely as roads quickly become snow covered and icy. Caution should be used during any travel and please remain alert for ongoing plow/salt operations. Deteriorating weather conditions are now imminent in the next 24hrs

Please visit http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/mcgtmpl.asp?url=/Content/PIO/emergency/snow.asp to keep updated on county services, traffic information, and school closings.

A.L.

Sent on: 02/08 15:15

Beware Carbon Monoxide Poisoning! Several Near Tragedies in County!

I was just reviewing some of the significant calls that our department responded too over the last 24 hours. The one thing that stuck out in my mind was the number of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning calls that we responded too.

Scary was one incident in which a total of 8 people (1 infant, 3 toddlers and 4 adults) were transported to two area hospitals in a near tragic outcome. In that instance, initial reports indicate that a grill was being used indoors to heat the house.

Likewise, there was another CO incident involving someone grilling inside to cook! Needless to say, bringing grills inside to either help with heating or cooking are tremendously bad ideas. Gas or charcoal – it does not matter.

In addition, you should not be running generators indoors if your power is out as that will also be a potential source of CO poisoning. Run generators outdoors!

If your power is out, please know that the county has provided several different shelter locations that you can go to for warmth and food and shelter! Go here for more on that: Montgomery County to Open Two Additional Shelters at 4 p.m. for Residents Affected by Power Outages

There were also a few other emergency responses that could be tied to the cold weather! Please take a moment to look at some of our related safety tips below. My hope is that many of you without power do have cell phones and other similar devices that you can get this message and act appropriately. Also if you know of someone who is without power, please pass the word!

Fire & Carbon Monoxide Risks During Cold Weather

Stay safe out there!

Bill Delaney

Sunday, February 7, 2010

Montgomery County govt. closed on Monday

Montgomery County govt. closed on Monday except for essential personnel. County Ride On to operate on Monday on "S" service schedule. Libraries, rec and community centers, liquor stores closed. Solid Waste Transfer Station open. No County residential trash and recycling pickup. Parking enforcement in County garages, lots remains suspended Monday. MCPS, Montgomery College closed. All activities in schools, County buildings cancelled.

Sent to All users, All County Government Depts (E-mail accounts, Pagers, Cell phones) through Alert Montgomery


Stay Safe,

Bill Delaney
MCFRS Life Safety Education

Montgomery County Officials Urge Residents to Shovel Snow Away From Fire Hydrants


Montgomery County officials are urging residents to clear snow away from fire hydrants so that they are visible from the road and accessible to firefighters in the event of emergency.

Residents are also reminded to exercise caution when shoveling snow. Shovel snow into the yard rather than the street, to facilitate plowing. Cold weather puts an extra strain on the body. Individuals with heart disease or high blood pressure should follow their doctor’s advice about shoveling snow or performing other hard work in the cold. Avoid overexertion. Heart attacks from shoveling heavy snow are a leading cause of deaths during winter.

Property owners are responsible for clearing their public sidewalks, driveways and entrances within 24 hours of the end of a snowstorm. All residents are strongly encouraged to be good neighbors by clearing the sidewalks in front of their homes, as well as assisting those who may not be physically able to do so.

Volunteers With 4-Wheel Drive Vehicles Needed

Montgomery County is seeking volunteers with 4-wheel drive vehicles for special assignments related to the current snow emergency, such as transporting staff to shelters.

To volunteer, call the Montgomery Coutny Volunteer Center at 240-777-2600 or email volunteer@montgomerycountymd.gov with name, phone number and the section of the county in which you live.

Thank You for your support

Sent to Montgomery County Severe Traffic (24 hrs), Montgomery County Severe Traffic 6am-10am/3pm-8pm (E-mail accounts) through Alert Montgomery"

Saturday, February 6, 2010

DOT - Real Time Traffic

Thought this might interest some of you. You can not even see the roads.

DOT - Real Time Traffic

Stay Home and Stay Warm!

Hopefully everyone is staying at HOME and keeping warm!  One of our Facebook fans posted some good advice about making sure to shovel in moderation and do it every so often so you are not attempting to shovel all 20 plus something inches at once!  The other key is to make sure you HYDRATE properly before going out and physically exerting yourself!

Take a moment to visit us at our Facebook page as we are posting stuff there as well (including some info on who to call for power outages):  MCFRS on Facebook

At the site, we are hosting the Snow, Snow, and then - more SNOW event on our Facebook page. Click here to get there and join in: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/event.php?eid=298842242568&ref=mf

A couple of photos have been posted there already!

Stay safe and warm!

Bill

Storm Update

For Montgomery County residents experiencing Power outages, please call your local power company:

Pepco
1-877-737-2662

Baltimore Gas and Electric
1-877-778-2222

Allegheny Power
1-800-255-3443

Residents needing to report downed trees can call the Storm Operations Center 240-777-6000.

Sent to Montgomery County Severe Traffic (24 hrs), Montgomery County Severe Traffic 6am-10am/3pm-8pm, Montgomery County Severe Weather (E-mail accounts) through Alert Montgomery
Stay Safe,

Bill Delaney
MCFRS Life Safety Education

Friday, February 5, 2010

Snow, Snow, and then - more SNOW!

Inviting everyone out there to safely enjoy the snow storm. Hang out with loved ones. Review home escape plans and make sure your smoke alarms are working!

We are hosting the Snow, Snow, and then - more SNOW event on our Facebook page. Click here to get there and join in: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/event.php?eid=298842242568&ref=mf

In addition, if you look to your left, we have two poll’s up on the snow event. Please feel free to vote and let us know “What Will You Be Doing During the Storm?” and “How Many Inches of Snow Will We Get?”

Make sure you also sign up for Alert Montgomery to get all of the latest emergency updates. We will attempt to mirror all of the updates on our Twitter page (link below left side of this page).

Stay SAFE out there today!

Bill Delaney

Thursday, February 4, 2010

WINTER STORM WARNING

Major winter storm comparable to the Dec 19th event now imminent for the region. Winter storm preparations should be rushed to completion. 16-24" of snow possible for Montgomery County with near Blizzard conditions likely Saturday. Event onset is around noon tomorrow with several inches expected by the Friday Afternoon rush hours. Travel may become extremely difficult if not impossible Friday evening through Saturday.

The National Weather Service has upgraded the Winter Storm Watch to a WINTER STORM WARNING. This Warning is effective until 10PM Saturday.

A WINTER STORM WARNING means that significant amounts of snow, sleet, or freezing rain are expected or are occurring in the warned area. Significant amounts of freezing rain are possible as this storm passes.

Travel disruptions within the County and region are likely as roads quickly become snow covered and icy. Caution should be used during any travel and please remain alert for ongoing plow/salt operations. Deteriorating weather conditions are now imminent in the next 24hrs

Please visit http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/mcgtmpl.asp?url=/Content/PIO/emergency/snow.asp to keep updated on county services, traffic information, and school closings.

A.L.

Sent on: 02/04 12:28

Sent to Montgomery County Severe Traffic (24 hrs), Montgomery County Severe Weather, Skywarn (E-mail accounts, Pagers, Cell phones) through Alert Montgomery

... powered by the Roam Secure Alert Network
Stay Safe,

Bill Delaney
MCFRS Life Safety Education

Winter Storm - Be Prepared!

No doubt many of you are already aware of the Winter Storm that is heading our way this weekend. The leadership here at MCFRS is, as always, ahead of the curve and preparing for all scenarios to ensure we are able to respond to our communities needs as, well, needed. My hope is that none of you out there will need our assistance during this time as that would mean bad things are happening to you.

As I posted during our December storm, please make sure you keep your local fire hydrant clear of any snow so that our people can readily see them and use them in case of fire. Help us to help you if need be!
Also, if you are physically fit, please consider helping your neighbors who may not be able to shovel or help themselves.

Please take some time to prepare for this potential monster storm. If anything less than the worst occurs, then you will be more than ready! But please take a moment to click below and review some steps you should take, and some items you should have on hand, to prepare for the weather.

Winter Weather Tips

Winter Storms

Disaster Preparedness

Delays, Closings, & Other Information Due to Winter Storms & Emergencies

In effect, you may be asked to “Shelter in Place” this weekend. Make sure you have the tools and supplies necessary so that you can safely stay at home until the roadways are cleared.

As always – Stay Safe!

Bill Delaney
Program Manager - Community Safety Education
Division of Community Risk Reduction Services
Montgomery County Fire & Rescue

Monday, February 1, 2010

Video Update and Safety Tip

Thanks to our now over 1,900 Fans on Facebook! Please check your smoke alarms today to make sure they are working and go over your home fire escape plan with those you love.