Be Aware, Be Informed and Be Prepared

MCFRS Safety Officer Captain Pete Corte reminds us to Be Aware, Be Informed and Be Prepared in the Cold and by ALL Means STAY WARM!

MCFRS Safety Officer Pete Corte reminds us to Be Aware, Be Informed & Be Prepared in Cold & by ALL Means STAY WARM pic.twitter.com/oS8ZV6XMqO

— Pete Piringer (@mcfrsPIO) February 14, 2016

Prepare For Freezing Temps This Weekend

Montgomery County Fire and Rescue offers the following tips as some of the coldest weather in years arrives in the region. With gusty winds and temps predicted to drop into the single digits in many areas, it’s good to be prepared, monitor the weather and bundle up.

Via ABC7 Weather - Wind Chills for Saturday

Carbon Monoxide 
In a small space, carbon monoxide can build up and become dangerous quickly. Never warm-up your car in an attached garage or carport and protect yourself from carbon monoxide poisoning by installing a CO detector in your home. Never use grills, generators, camp stoves or similar devices indoors or in your garage.

Space Heater Safety Tips

• All heaters need space. Keep things that can burn, such as paper, bedding or furniture at least 3 feet away from heating equipment.
• Make sure you plug the space heater directly into an outlet - - - not an extension cord.
• Turn off and unplug space heaters when you leave a room or go to sleep.
• Space heaters should always be positioned on a flat floor and not on top of furniture, a table or cabinets.
• Make sure all fuel-burning equipment is vented to the outside to avoid carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. CO poisoning can cause illness and even death.
• Install and maintain carbon monoxide alarms inside your home to provide early warning of carbon monoxide.
• Use only heating equipment that has the label of a recognized testing laboratory and read all manufacturer instructions.

Winter Driving  

• Keep a cold weather kit in your car. Include important safety items such as a fully charged cell phone, a blanket, flashlight, ice scraper, gloves, hat, scarf and a first-aid kit.
• Fill up a gallon size baggie with kitty litter to keep in the car during the winter in case you get stuck in snow or ice. 
• Be sure to have the proper amount of antifreeze in your vehicle. Antifreeze works to prevent your engine block from freezing. 
• Check your wipers and ensure you have plenty of windshield wiper fluid. Want your wipers to last longer? Don’t turn them on until after they’re cleared of ice and snow. 

Pets 
Bring your pets indoors during winter weather! Never leave your dog or cat alone in the car during cold weather. A car can act as a refrigerator in the winter holding in the cold and causing an animal to freeze. Additionally, move other animals or livestock to sheltered areas with non-frozen drinking water. Remember, antifreeze is a toxic poison for cats and dogs.

Pedestrian Safety
Slippery driveways and sidewalks can be particularly hazardous in the winter. Keep them well-shoveled and apply materials such as rock salt or sand to improve traction.

Parents
It is a good time to talk to your kids about cold weather safety. Extra care is needed, especially with younger children, to ensure they are prepared for the cold weather in the forecast. Develop an emergency plan and teach children your plan.

Ice Dangers 

• Despite the cold temps, there is no such thing as 100 percent safe ice in our region. Remind children to stay away from ponds, lakes and other bodies of water that may appear to be frozen or have a thin coating of ice.  
• If you witness someone falling through the ice, the best way to help them is to immediately call 9-1-1 so rescue personnel can quickly be dispatched. Resist the urge to go out on the ice after them or else you could fall through too. Would-be rescuers frequently become victims when they fall through the ice as well.
• Keep an eye on the location where the victim is so you can direct rescuers to that location.
• While waiting for rescue personnel to arrive on the scene, extend or throw a long object to them such as rope, pole, tree limb or even a scarf to help pull them to shore. If using a rope, have the victim tie the rope around them in case they become weakened by the cold and are unable to hold onto the rope. Reassure them that help is on the way and if they are able to self-rescue out of the water take immediate measures to keep them warm to help prevent hypothermia while waiting for rescue personnel to arrive. 

Lastly, keep dogs on leashes around frozen bodies of waters. Many dogs are seriously injured or killed after falling through ice.

Frostbite

Many kids will want to be outside today to play in the snow. It will be a cold day - especially during the morning hours. This will increase the chances of young, and older, experiencing frostbite if folks are not careful.

With that in mind, Acting Fire Chief Scott Goldstein wants every one to enjoy the day in a safe way. Exposure to cold without adequate protection can result in frostbite. Parents can protect their children by following these precautions:

• Dress children warmly. Several thin layers will help keep children dry as well as warm. Clothing should consist of thermal long johns, turtlenecks, one or two shirts, pants, sweater, coat, warm socks, boots, gloves or mittens, and a hat.
• Set reasonable time limits on outdoor play. Call children in periodically to warm up with drinks such as hot chocolate.
• When possible, avoid taking infants outdoors when it is colder than 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Infants lose body heat quickly.

If a child complains of numbness or pain in the fingers, toes, nose, cheeks or ears while playing in the snow, or if his skin is blistered, hard to the touch or glossy, be alerted to the possibility of frostbite and take the following steps:

• Take the child indoors.
• Call a doctor.
• Tell the child to wiggle the affected body part(s) to increase blood supply to that area.
• Warm the frozen part(s) against the body. Hold fingers to the chest, for example.
• Immerse frozen part(s) in warm, not hot, water. Frozen tissue is fragile and can be damaged easily. Avoid warming with high heat from radiators, fireplaces or stoves, and avoid rubbing or breaking blisters.

Frostbite

Exposure to cold without adequate protection can result in frostbite. Parents can protect their children by following these precautions:

• Dress children warmly. Several thin layers will help keep children dry as well as warm. Clothing should consist of thermal long johns, turtlenecks, one or two shirts, pants, sweater, coat, warm socks, boots, gloves or mittens, and a hat.
• Set reasonable time limits on outdoor play. Call children in periodically to warm up with drinks such as hot chocolate.
• When possible, avoid taking infants outdoors when it is colder than 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Infants lose body heat quickly.

If a child complains of numbness or pain in the fingers, toes, nose, cheeks or ears while playing in the snow, or if his skin is blistered, hard to the touch or glossy, be alerted to the possibility of frostbite and take the following steps:

• Take the child indoors.
• Call a doctor.
• Tell the child to wiggle the affected body part(s) to increase blood supply to that area.
• Warm the frozen part(s) against the body. Hold fingers to the chest, for example.
• Immerse frozen part(s) in warm, not hot, water. Frozen tissue is fragile and can be damaged easily. Avoid warming with high heat from radiators, fireplaces or stoves, and avoid rubbing or breaking blisters.

Fireplace and Wood Burning Safety

Just when we thought it could not get any colder -- it will!  No doubt many of you are firing up the wood burning stove or fireplace in your home.  Each year, we continue to run too many fires as a result of improperly discarded fireplace and wood stove ashes!

Please take a moment to review the below related safety tips to help make sure you enjoy your fireplace or wood burning stove safely.

Fireplace and wood-stove ashes retain enough heat to ignite other combustible materials for several days after a fire. It is important to learn the following ways to dispose of fireplace and wood-stove ashes properly:

• DO NOT discard your ashes into any combustible container like a paper or plastic bag, a cardboard box, or a plastic trash can.
• DO put ashes into a non-combustible metal container with a lid.
• DO pour water into the container to make sure the ashes are cool.
• DO keep your can OUTSIDE the home, away from combustibles.
• DO teach all family members to be safe with ashes from your fireplace or wood stove.

As always, please make sure you test your smoke alarms monthly and replace batteries twice a year. Practice and plan a family home escape plan.

Cold Weather Tips For Home And Outside

Montgomery County Fire and Rescue offers the following tips as more cold weather arrives in the area. With gusty winds and temps with wind chills predicted to drop well below zero, it’s important to be prepared, monitor the weather, be safe and take a minute to check on elderly or home bound neighbors and friends. 

At Home
Give space heaters space and ensure at least 3 feet clearance from combustibles (anything that can burn). Dedicate an outlet for the space heater and do not overload the electrical circuit. Always stay in the room while a space heater is operating, turn it off when leaving the area or room and follow manufacturer recommendations when using space heaters.

Firing up the fireplace? Never discard ashes inside or near the home. Let them completely cool down and place them in a metal container outside and well away from the house, garage or decks or other combustibles. NEVER dispose of ashes in a paper or plastic bag, cardboard box, trash can, recycling bin or bucket. Ashes can remain hot enough to rekindle several days after a fire. 

Remember: no ash in the trash.

Never use a range or an oven as a supplemental heating device. Not only is it a safety hazard, it can be a source of potentially toxic fumes.

Make sure your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors are working. Protect yourself from carbon monoxide poisoning by installing a CO detector in your home and be sure to test your smoke alarm monthly to ensure it’s working. Remember, never warm-up your car in an attached garage or carport.

Winter Driving
Keep a cold weather kit in your car. Include important safety items such as a fully charged cell phone, a blanket, flashlight, ice scraper, gloves, hat, scarf and a first-aid kit.

- Fill up a gallon size baggie with kitty litter to keep in the car during the winter in case you get stuck in the ice.

- Be sure to have the proper amount of antifreeze in your vehicle. Antifreeze works to prevent your engine block from freezing.

- Check your wipers and ensure you have plenty of windshield wiper fluid. Want your wipers to last longer? Don’t turn them on until after they’re cleared of ice and snow.
  

Pedestrian Safety
Slippery driveways and sidewalks can be particularly hazardous in the winter. Keep them well-shoveled and apply materials such as rock salt or sand to improve traction.

Icy Dangers

It is a good time to talk to your kids about cold weather safety. Extra care is needed, especially with younger children, to ensure they are prepared for the bitter cold weather in the forecast.

- Ice dangers: Despite the cold temps, there is no such thing as 100 percent safe ice in our region. Remind children to stay away from ponds, lakes and other bodies of water that may appear to be frozen or have a thin coating of ice. 

- If you witness someone falling through the ice, the best way to help them is to immediately call 9-1-1 so rescue personnel can quickly be dispatched. Resist the urge to go out on the ice after them or else you could fall through too. Would-be rescuers frequently become victims when they fall through the ice as well.

- Keep an eye on the location where the victim is so you can direct rescuers to that location.

- While waiting for rescue personnel to arrive on the scene, extend or throw a long object to the victim such as rope, pole, tree limb or even a scarf to help pull them to shore. If using a rope, have the victim tie the rope around them in case they become weakened by the cold and are unable to hold onto the rope. Reassure them that help is on the way and if they are able to self-rescue out of the water take immediate measures to keep them warm to help prevent hypothermia while waiting for rescue personnel to arrive.

-  Keep dogs on leashes around frozen bodies of waters. Many dogs are seriously injured or killed after falling through ice.

Sledding Safety

The high incidence of sledding injuries is related to a combination of speed, steep hills, bumpy terrain and often icy conditions. Make sure that sledding areas do not cross any traffic areas and are clear of hazards such as trees, rocks, fences, telephone poles, ponds and other dangers. The majority of sledding injuries are caused by collisions. Remember the safest sledding position is feet first. Sledding headfirst increases the risk of head injury and should be avoided.  Fire officials in Montgomery County recommend that children wear a helmet when sledding.