Winter Safety Tips...

Half of my weekend went great and the other half was terrible!

We had a great time at the REACT Christmas party last Saturday. We had quite a few people there…..several of our members brought their spouses with them. They gave away door prizes, but, once again, I didn’t win anything. Each of the team members received a Letter of Appreciation from our President and I received an extra award…..the first of its kind….the Public Safety Award. This was presented to me because of all the times I assisted police, fire and OHP on traffic control, due to accidents, etc. I was excited to receive it. After our Christmas Party, I went home for a while and then headed up to one of our members’ apartments to watch OU play Nebraska.

It was after the game that things went downhill…….fast. I was up most of the night Saturday night because of my stomach. I spent all day in bed Sunday, running a fever, being weak and having no appetite. I never did throw-up, but I sure felt like it. Everything came out the other end. I was like that Sunday and most of yesterday. Today, I still don’t feel real well. Still a little nauseated and still weak, but I am drinking lots of liquids.

In other news….

Winter Safety Tips

With precipitation approaching Oklahoma, the Oklahoma City Fire Department would like to offer the following winter weather safety tips to help keep Oklahomans safe.

Walking in Ice and Snow

• Use a melting solution or rock salt to clear all walkways of any ice and snow.

• If you shovel your walkways or driveways, pace your work and take frequent breaks.

• Wear rubber-soled shoes or boots to get better traction.

• Take slower, shorter steps when walking on ice and snow.

• Use a handrail when walking on stairways or inclines.



Winter Driving

• If possible, avoid driving while streets are covered in ice and snow.

• Have your vehicle winterized by a qualified mechanic.

• Make sure your tires have adequate tread for the conditions.

• Assemble and carry a "survival kit" for your automobile with items such as:

o Blankets

o Bottled water

o Flashlight and extra batteries

o First aid kit

o Jumper cables

o Snow chains

• Allow extra time to reach your destination.


Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

• Carbon monoxide (CO) alarm popularity has been growing in recent years. It is very important that we recognize the hazards of carbon monoxide poisoning in the home. Often called the silent killer, carbon monoxide is an invisible, odorless, colorless gas created when fuels (such as kerosene, wood, coal, natural gas, propane, oil, and methane) burn incompletely. In the home, heating and cooking equipment that burn fuel are potential sources of carbon monoxide. Vehicles or generators running in an attached garage can also produce dangerous levels of carbon monoxide.

• According to the National Safety Council, 200-300 unintentional injury and/or deaths a year are due to carbon monoxide poisoning.

• The dangers of CO exposure depend on a number of variables, including the victim's health and activity level. Infants, pregnant women, and people with physical conditions that limit their body's ability to use oxygen (i.e. emphysema, asthma, heart disease) can be more severely affected by lower concentrations of CO than healthy adults.

• A person can be poisoned by a small amount of CO over a longer period of time or by a large amount of CO over a shorter amount of time.

• CO enters the body through breathing. CO poisoning can be confused with flu symptoms, food poisoning, and other illnesses. High levels of CO can be fatal, causing death within minutes.

• Some symptoms of CO poisoning include:

o Shortness of breath

o Nausea

o Dizziness

o Light headedness

o Headaches

• Install CO alarms (listed by an independent testing laboratory) inside your home to provide early warning of accumulating CO. CO alarms should be installed in a central location outside each separate sleeping area. If bedrooms are spaced apart, each area will need a CO alarm.

• Test CO alarms at least once a month and replace CO alarms according to the manufacturer's instructions. CO alarms are not substitutes for smoke alarms. Know the difference between the sound of smoke alarms and CO alarms.

• If your CO alarm sounds, immediately move to a fresh air location and call for help. Remain at the fresh air location until emergency personnel say it is safe to re-enter.

• If the audible trouble signal sounds, check for low batteries or other trouble indicators.


Fueling Automobiles

• Maintain at least half a tank of fuel in your vehicle during colder weather.

• Static electricity can ignite gasoline fumes; therefore, when fueling during cold, dry weather, touch your vehicle with your hand before touching the fuel pump to dissipate any possible static electricity you may have in your body.

• Do not re-enter your vehicle during fueling since sliding across the seat and floorboard can generate static electricity.

• Do not use a cell phone while fueling your automobile.

• Turn off the engine while fueling.

• Extinguish all smoking materials before fueling.



Safety Tips in the Home

• Make sure you have working smoke alarms properly installed in your home. Smoke alarms should be installed in a central location outside each separate sleeping area. If bedrooms are spaced apart, each area will need a CO alarm. Test your smoke alarms monthly and install fresh batteries annually.

• Have fuel-burning heating equipment (fireplaces, furnaces, water heaters, wood and coal stoves, space or portable heaters) and chimneys inspected by a professional every year before cold weather sets in.

o Give space heaters their space; keep combustible material at least three feet away from the heater.

o Keep all combustible materials off of floor furnaces.

o Remove any combustibles from central heater closets.

o Be sure to inspect and clean your fireplace chimney annually.

o Use a metal grate to hold the logs inside the fireplace.

o Use an approved metal or glass screen in front of the fireplace to prevent embers from flying out of the firebox.

o Remember to open the damper before lighting the fireplace.

• When purchasing new heating and cooking equipment, select products tested and labeled by an independent testing laboratory.

• Never use your oven to heat your home.

• When buying an existing home, have a qualified technician evaluate the integrity of the heating and cooking systems, as well as the sealed spaces between the garage and house.


Safety tips outside the home
• If you need to warm a vehicle, remove it from the garage immediately after starting it. Do not run a vehicle, generator, or other fueled engine or motor indoors, even if garage doors are open. Make sure the exhaust pipe of a running vehicle is not covered with snow.

• During and after a snowstorm, make sure vents for the dryer, furnace, stove, and fireplace are clear of snow build-up.

• Only use barbecue grills – which can produce CO – outside. Never use them in the home, garage, or near building openings as a heat source.


General Safety Tips

• Dress warm and in layers if venturing outside during cold weather.

• Assemble a "survival kit" for your home with items such as:

o Battery operated radio and extra batteries

o Flashlights and extra batteries

o Bottled Water

o Canned food and a manual can opener

o Blankets

o First aid kit

• Check on your family, friends, and neighbors during winter storms to make sure they are managing well.