Salisbury Fire Department

Extreme Cold Safety Tips

Nothing good usually happens when temperatures get this bitterly cold.  The American Red Cross offers steps people can take to stay safe during such cold weather.

• Minimize travel. Stay indoors during the worst part of the extreme cold.
• Keep a winter survival kit in your vehicle if you must travel.  Check tire pressure, antifreeze levels, heater/defroster, etc.
• Check on the elderly. 
• Try to stay dry and out of the wind.
• Layer up! Wear layers of lightweight clothing to stay warm. Gloves and a hat will help prevent losing your body heat.  Mittens, snug at the wrist, are better than gloves.  Cover your mouth to protect your lungs from extreme cold.
•  Don’t forget your furry friends. Bring pets indoors. If they can’t come inside, make sure they have enough shelter to keep them warm and that they can get to unfrozen water.
•  Remember the three feet rule. If you are using a space heater, place it on a level, hard surface and keep anything flammable at least three feet away – things such as paper, clothing, bedding, curtains or rugs. Requires supervision – Turn off space heaters and make sure fireplace embers are out before leaving the room or going to bed.
•  Don’t catch fire! If you are using a fireplace, use a glass or metal fire screen large enough to catch sparks and rolling logs.
• Learn how to shut off water valves for potential pipe bursts
•  Protect your pipes. Run water, even at a trickle, to help prevent your pipes from freezing. Open the kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors to allow warmer air to circulate around the plumbing. Be sure to move any harmful cleaners and household chemicals out of the reach of children. Keep the garage doors closed if there are water lines in the garage.
• Better safe than sorry. Keep the thermostat at the same temperature day and night. Your heating bill may be a little higher, but you could avoid a more costly repair job if your pipes freeze and burst.
• The kitchen is for cooking. Never use a stove or oven to heat your home.
• Use generators outside. Never operate a generator inside the home, including in the basement or garage.

• For more information on how to stay safe during the cold weather, visit http://www.redcross.org/news/article/Top-Ten-Red-Cross-Cold-Weather-Safety-Tips or  visit http://www.ready.gov/winter-weather

For information about Wind Chill, charts and calculator visit http://www.weather.gov/bgm/outreachExtremeColdSafety