Cold Weather Safety

During a hard freeze or in icy conditions, Acadian Ambulance wants you to stay safe. From space heaters to iced roads, we would like to go over a few precautions to keep you and your loved ones out of harm’s way and comfortable.

Space Heaters

Here are some safety tips for staying warm and cozy with space heaters:

1. Never use an extension cord or power strip. It could overheat, resulting in a fire.
2. Never leave your space heater unattended.
3. Make sure your smoke and CO detectors are working properly and that batteries are fresh.
4. Keep your space heater a safe distance away from other objects. A minimum of 3 feet is best.
5. Keep your space heater off of carpeted surfaces.

Generators

Running generators inside or near a closed space presents a serious danger of carbon monoxide poisoning.

1. Never run a generator in an enclosed space or indoors.
2. Always place the generator at least 20 feet from the house with the engine exhaust directed away from windows and doors.
3. Look for any places air can enter into the home near your unit and ensure that those are properly closed and sealed off. This includes windows or doors, air intakes, nearby dryer vents or crawl spaces.
4. Don’t connect your generator directly to your home’s wiring.
5. Don’t plug a portable generator into an electrical outlet in your home or garage.
6. Don’t run a portable generator in the rain.
7. Give generators breaks that allow for any concentrated exhaust to clear away from the area. Open windows and doors during the break to air out any concentration that may have collected in your home.
8. Have a carbon monoxide (CO) alarm installed in your home.

Outside

From pipes to pets, keep all of your outdoor valuables protected from cold weather conditions.

1. Keep warm and cold water taps dripping overnight to prevent your pipes from freezing.
2. Provide adequate shelter for outside pets if you cannot bring them inside.
3. Salt your driveway, walking paths, or other high-traffic areas.
4. Bring potted plants indoors and protect plants that cannot be easily moved.
5. Wear multiple layers of clothing when going outside. If a layer gets wet, remove it. Remove wet socks promptly and change into dry socks.
6. Wrap or insulate your outside spigots/faucets and hot water tanks.

Vehicle Safety

1. Don’t pour boiling water on a frozen windshield. This could cause the glass to shatter. Instead, pour room temperature water onto your frozen windshield to remove any ice.
2. Don’t drive in icy conditions if you don’t have to.
3. Keep a safe following distance when driving on icy roads. Breaking hard while following too closely could result in a collision.
4. Remove children’s coats prior to buckling them into a car seat. If there is a crash and a child is wearing a coat, it could compress, leaving extra room for the child to move and increasing their risk for injury. Instead, secure the child in their seat, then cover them with a blanket.
5. Test your car’s battery. Battery power may drop with the temperature.
6. Always check your tire pressure before getting on the road. Tire pressure goes down in cold conditions.

First responders are on duty 24/7. Even in a freeze or icy conditions, if you or a loved one is experiencing an emergency, don’t hesitate to call 911.

Sources:

KATC – www.katc.com
WAFB Channel 9 – www.wafb.com
NSC – www.nsc.org