Happy Holidays and Winter Weather Safety Tips
 
By Fire Chief Stephen Andrews
December 22, 2022
 

The Barnard Fire District wishes all of our residents and visitors a very safe and Happy Holiday Season.

Winter Weather Safety Tips
Carry an emergency kit in your car:
If your car gets stuck during a storm:
• Stay in your vehicle
• Run the engine about 10 minutes per hour for heat
• Crack a window while running the engine to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning
• Clear snow from the exhaust pipe if necessary to avoid gas poisoning

If you lose power and/or heat at home:
• Use flashlights for emergency lighting
• Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed
• Close doors to unused rooms to avoid wasting heat
• Stuff towels in cracks under doors
• Close blinds or curtains to help hold warm air in the house
• Make sure to eat and drink to avoid dehydration – your body needs energy to produce its own
warmth
• Dress in layers and add or remove them accordingly
• DO NOT burn charcoal for heating or cooking indoors
• DO NOT use your oven for a source of heat
• If you have a generator, DO NOT run it inside your home or garage, or connect it to the home’s
electrical system
• If using a space heater, place it on a solid, flat surface, at least 3 feet away from things
that can burn. Plug directly into a wall outlet – NOT an extension cord or power strip. DO NOT
leave the heater unattended
• If using a kerosene heater, only use 1-K grade kerosene that is not cloudy or colored, and keep
the heater at least several feet away from furniture, curtains, paper, and other combustible
materials. DO NOT attempt to move a lighted kerosene heater, or refill it in your living quarters
or while it is hot. DO NOT leave the heater unattended or use it in a small room or a room without
adequate ventilation.
Tips from the National Weather Service, ready.pa.gov, FEMA, and the Insurance Information Institute