As temperatures take a turn for the worse the American Red Cross of Northwest Missouri is stressing weather safety.
“Heating equipment is one of the leading causes of home fire deaths, and the risk of home fires increase in colder weather,” said Angie Springs, Ex. Dir. “With the onset of winter across the country it’s more important than ever to be vigilant when it comes to person safety and staying warm this winter.”
The Red Cross has six tips to stay safe this winter:
- Install smoke alarms on every level of your home, inside bedrooms and outside sleeping areas.
- Test the batteries in your smoke alarms once a month, and change them if they’re not working.
- Create an escape plan that includes two exits from each room and practice it until everyone in your household can get out in less than two minutes.
- Follow the “three feet” rule and keep children, pets and flammable items at least three feet from heating equipment. Turn off portable space heaters when you leave the room and when you go to sleep.
- Use gas wisely and never use a cooking range or oven to heat your home. Four percent of Americans admit to having used a gas stove to heat their home.
- Use flashlights, not candles because battery-operated flashlights or lanterns are safer than candles during power outages.