Winter Safety Tips

Orange Township Fire Department would like to offer these winter safety tips.

 Carbon Monoxide

Cold Weather Emergencies

Winter Weather and Subfreezing Temperatures

Winter Storm Definitions

•  Freezing Rain - creates a coating of ice on roads and walkways.
• Sleet - is rain that turns to ice pellets before reaching the ground. Sleet also causes roads to freeze and become slippery.
• Winter Weather Advisory - means cold, ice and snow are expected.
•  Winter Storm Watch - means severe weather such as heavy snow or ice is possible in the next day or two.
• Winter Storm Warning - means severe winter conditions have begun or will begin very soon.

You’re Furnace:

• Leave furnace work to experts.  Have a qualified technician check and clean your unit and controls every year.
• Be sure the emergency shut off and automatic controls are in good condition.
• Always keep trash, papers, paint, and all other combustibles away from the furnace area.

Portable Heaters:

• Make sure you have at least 36 inches of empty space between all heaters and everything else, like curtains, furniture, and papers.
• Never leave children unattended in rooms with portable heaters.
• Be sure the heater has tip-over protection.
• Never use an extension cord with a portable electric heater.
• Check the cord on your electric heater.  If it is cracked or frayed or gets hot, have the heater serviced or replaced.
• Be sure to clean and dust the heater, if dust is left to build up it can ignite and cause a fire.
• Be sure to turn them off when leaving the house or sleeping.
• Avoid using portable heaters in the bathroom

Fireplaces and Wood Stoves:

• Never leave a fire unattended.
• Have your chimney and fireplace inspected annually by a certified chimney sweep.  They will check for creosote build-up, cracks, crumbling bricks and obstructions.
• Make sure the fireplace opening is covered with a sturdy metal screen or heat tempered glass doors.
• To prevent fires in your flue, burn dry, well seasoned wood. Never burn trash.
• Make sure your wood stove burns hot twice a day for 15-30 minutes to reduce the amount of creosote build-up.
• Never burn charcoal indoors. It can give off lethal amounts of carbon monoxide when burned.
• Always be sure the fire in your fireplace is out before going to bed.  It is extremely important to NEVER close your damper while there are hot ashes in the fireplace.  A closed damper could cause the fire to flare up again and this will cause toxic carbon monoxide to be released into the house.
• If you are using synthetic logs, always follow the directions on the package.  Never break a synthetic log apart to quicken the fire or use more than one log at a time.

Smoke Detectors:

• Install a smoke detector on each level of your home.
• Test smoke detectors once a month.
• Keep your smoke detectors dust free.
• Never remove working smoke detector batteries to use in toys or for any other reason.

Escape Planning:

• Plan an escape plan with your family.
• Make sure all family members are familiar with a plan.
• Practice your escape plan twice a year.  It is good to practice in the winter so you know what to do in cold weather.
• Every room should have at least 2 ways to escape.  An Exit without opening a bedroom door is important.
• Decide a meeting place outside and away from the house so all family members can gather and be accounted for.
• If you suspect fire, get out and call the fire department from a neighbor’s house.
• NEVER RE-ENTER A BURNING BUILDING!

For more information please contact the Orange Township Fire Department Prevention Office at 740-548-7104.