Illinois Emergency Management Agency
Holiday Safety in December
Tips offered for preparedness gifts, and holiday
decorating
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[December 12, 2015]
SPRINGFIELD – With the holiday season
in full swing, the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) and
local emergency management agencies are offering tips to help people
stay safe now and into the new year. |
“December can be a fun but hectic time of year,” said IEMA
Director James K. Joseph. “Throughout the month, we’ll be offering
tips to help people stay safe, as well as provide ideas on gifts
that can help friends and family stay safe during all types of
emergencies.”
Joseph offered several ideas for preparedness gifts including:
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) weather alert
radio with battery backup, a tone-alert feature and Specific
Area Message Encoding (SAME) technology
Flashlight with extra batteries.
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2015/Dec/04/images/ads/current/graue_sda_june2015.png) First aid kit with sterile bandages and gauze pads in
assorted sizes; antiseptic; latex gloves; tweezers; scissors; soap
and moistened towelettes; and thermometer.
Home emergency preparedness kit stocked with a three-day
supply of bottled water and non-perishable food; battery-powered
radio, weather radio and flashlights with extra batteries; first aid
kit; shut-off wrench (to turn off household gas and water); manual
can opener; and fire extinguisher.
Vehicle preparedness kit stocked with a flashlight with
extra batteries; first aid kit; water and non-perishable snacks;
blankets; windshield scraper and brush; booster cables; sack of sand
or kitty litter; tool kit; and shovel.
Most preparedness gift items can be found in hardware and department
stores. [to top of second
column] |
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Whether decorating for Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or New
Year’s Eve, candles and strings of colored lights create a
festive atmosphere but it’s important to be careful when using
them.
Candles should never be left unattended and should be placed on
stable furniture in fire-safe holders that will catch dripping wax.
Holiday lights and electrical decorations should bear the name of
an independent testing lab to prove they were safety tested.
IEMA will be posting holiday safety tips throughout December on the
Ready Illinois Facebook (www.Facebook.com/ReadyIllinois) and Twitter
(twitter.com/ReadyIllinois) pages. Additional information on
emergency preparedness is available on the Ready Illinois website at
www.Ready.Illinois.gov.
[Patti Thompson, Illinois Emergency
Management Agency]
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