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As this first taste of winter moves in, the American Red Cross
offers ten steps people can take to stay safe during the big chill.
- Wear layers of lightweight clothing to stay warm. Gloves and
a hat will help prevent losing your body heat.
- Don’t forget your pets - bring them 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.
- Make sure your gas tank is full and that all fluids are at
the appropriate levels. Include a car disaster kit and an extra
blanket in your trunk in case you are stranded.
- 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.
- If you are using a space heater, place it on a level, hard
surface and keep anything flammable at least three feet away.
- Turn off space heaters and make sure fireplace embers are
out before leaving the room or going to bed.
- Never use a stove or oven to heat your home.
- If you are using a fireplace, use a glass or metal fire
screen large enough to catch sparks and rolling logs.
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- Use generators correctly – never operate a generator
inside the home, including in the basement or garage.
- Don’t hook a generator up to the home’s wiring. The
safest thing to do is to connect the equipment you want to
power directly to the outlets on the generator.
For more Red Cross preparedness information, please visit
redcross.org/prepare.
[© 2014 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] About
the American Red Cross
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides
emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40
percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save
lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports
military members and their families. The Red Cross is a
not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and
the generosity of the American public to perform its
mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or
visit us on Twitter at @RedCross
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