Montgo m e r y County Fire and Rescue Service

An Internationally Accredited Public Safety Agency

NEWS ADVISORY
Steve n E. Lohr, Fire Chief
Public Safety Headquarters, 100 Edison Park Drive, Gaithersburg, Maryland 0!"!

Assistan t Chief Scott Graha m

Phone# $0% !"&% 1 &0 Media 'ine# $0% """% $$ (M)*ireP+,

IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 21, 2014

Ready for some more cold and snow?

Montgomery County, MD - - Get ready for another arctic !a"t# A $inter "tor% $arnin& re%ain" in effect unti! 11:00 '#%# thi" e(enin& and a $ind chi!! ad(i"ory re%ain" in effect unti! noon on )edne"day# Mont&o%ery *ounty +ire and Re"cue offer" the fo!!o$in& ti'" a" %ore co!d $eather arri(e" in the area# )ith &u"ty $ind" and te%'" $ith $ind chi!!" 'redicted to dro' $e!! e!o$ ,ero, it-" i%'ortant to e 're'ared, %onitor the $eather, e "afe and ta.e a %inute to chec. on e!der!y or ho%e ound nei&h or" and friend"# At Home Give space heaters space and en"ure at !ea"t / feet c!earance fro% co% u"ti !e" 0anythin& that can urn1# Dedicate an out!et for the "'ace heater and do not o(er!oad the e!ectrica! circuit# A!$ay" "tay in the roo% $hi!e a "'ace heater i" o'eratin&, turn it off $hen !ea(in& the area or roo% and fo!!o$ %anufacturer reco%%endation" $hen u"in& "'ace heater"# Firing up the fireplace? 2e(er di"card a"he" in"ide or near the ho%e# Let the% co%'!ete!y coo! do$n and '!ace the% in a %eta! container out"ide and $e!! a$ay fro% the hou"e, &ara&e or dec." or other co% u"ti !e"# 2E3ER di"'o"e of a"he" in a 'a'er or '!a"tic a&, card oard o4, tra"h can, recyc!in& in or uc.et# A"he" can re%ain hot enou&h to re.ind!e "e(era! day" after a fire# Re%e% er: no a"h in the tra"h# Never use a range or an oven a" a "u''!e%enta! heatin& de(ice# 2ot on!y i" it a "afety ha,ard, it can e a "ource of 'otentia!!y to4ic fu%e"# Make sure your smoke alarms and car on mono!ide detectors are working# 5rotect your"e!f fro% car on %ono4ide 'oi"onin& y in"ta!!in& a *6 detector in your ho%e and e "ure to te"t your "%o.e a!ar% %onth!y to en"ure it-" $or.in&# Re%e% er, ne(er $ar%7u' your car in an attached &ara&e or car'ort# "inter #riving 8ee' a co!d $eather .it in your car# Inc!ude i%'ortant "afety ite%" "uch a" a fu!!y char&ed ce!! 'hone, a !an.et, f!a"h!i&ht, ice "cra'er, &!o(e", hat, "carf and a fir"t7aid .it# 7 +i!! u' a &a!!on "i,e a&&ie $ith .itty !itter to .ee' in the car durin& the $inter in ca"e you &et "tuc. in the ice# 7 9e "ure to ha(e the 'ro'er a%ount of antifree,e in your (ehic!e# Antifree,e $or." to 're(ent your en&ine !oc. fro% free,in&#

7 *hec. your $i'er" and en"ure you ha(e '!enty of $ind"hie!d $i'er f!uid# )ant your $i'er" to !a"t !on&er: Don-t turn the% on unti! after they-re c!eared of ice and "no$# $edestrian %afety S!i''ery dri(e$ay" and "ide$a!." can e 'articu!ar!y ha,ardou" in the $inter# 8ee' the% $e!!7"ho(e!ed and a''!y %ateria!" "uch a" roc. "a!t or "and to i%'ro(e traction# &cy #angers It i" a &ood ti%e to ta!. to your .id" a out co!d $eather "afety# E4tra care i" needed, e"'ecia!!y $ith youn&er chi!dren, to en"ure they are 're'ared for the itter co!d $eather in the foreca"t# 7 Ice dan&er": De"'ite the co!d te%'", there i" no such thing as '(( percent safe ice in our region) Re%ind chi!dren to "tay a$ay fro% 'ond", !a.e" and other odie" of $ater that %ay a''ear to e fro,en or ha(e a thin coatin& of ice# 7 If you $itne"" "o%eone fa!!in& throu&h the ice, the e"t $ay to he!' the% i" to i%%ediate!y ca!! ;7171 "o re"cue 'er"onne! can <uic.!y e di"'atched# Re"i"t the ur&e to &o out on the ice after the% or e!"e you cou!d fa!! throu&h too# )ou!d7 e re"cuer" fre<uent!y eco%e (icti%" $hen they fa!! throu&h the ice a" $e!!# 7 8ee' an eye on the !ocation $here the (icti% i" "o you can direct re"cuer" to that !ocation# 7 )hi!e $aitin& for re"cue 'er"onne! to arri(e on the "cene, e4tend or thro$ a !on& o =ect to the (icti% "uch a" ro'e, 'o!e, tree !i% or e(en a "carf to he!' 'u!! the% to "hore# If u"in& a ro'e, ha(e the (icti% tie the ro'e around the% in ca"e they eco%e $ea.ened y the co!d and are una !e to ho!d onto the ro'e# Rea""ure the% that he!' i" on the $ay and if they are a !e to "e!f7re"cue out of the $ater ta.e i%%ediate %ea"ure" to .ee' the% $ar% to he!' 're(ent hy'other%ia $hi!e $aitin& for re"cue 'er"onne! to arri(e# 7 8ee' do&" on !ea"he" around fro,en odie" of $ater"# Many do&" are "eriou"!y in=ured or .i!!ed after fa!!in& throu&h ice# %ledding %afety The hi&h incidence of "!eddin& in=urie" i" re!ated to a co% ination of "'eed, "tee' hi!!", u%'y terrain and often icy condition"# Ma.e "ure that "!eddin& area" do not cro"" any traffic area" and are c!ear of ha,ard" "uch a" tree", roc.", fence", te!e'hone 'o!e", 'ond" and other dan&er"# The %a=ority of "!eddin& in=urie" are cau"ed y co!!i"ion"# Re%e% er the "afe"t "!eddin& 'o"ition i" feet fir"t# S!eddin& headfir"t increa"e" the ri". of head in=ury and "hou!d e a(oided# +ire officia!" in Mont&o%ery *ounty reco%%end that chi!dren $ear a he!%et $hen "!eddin&# >>>