Code Blue

• Avoid carbon monoxide poisoning. Only use generators and grills outdoors and away from windows. Never heat your home with a gas stovetop or oven.
• Stay off roads if at all possible. If trapped in your car, then stay inside.
• Limit your time outside. If you need to go outside, then wear layers of warm clothing. Watch for signs of frostbite and hypothermia.
• Reduce the risk of a heart attack by avoiding overexertion when shoveling snow and walking in the snow.

Frostbite causes loss of feeling and color around the face, fingers and toes.

Actions: Go to a warm room. Soak in warm water. Use body heat to warm. Do not massage or use a heating pad.

Signs: Numbness, white or grayish-yellow skin, firm or waxy skin.

Hypothermia is an unusually low body temperature. A temperature below 95 degrees is an emergency.

Actions: Go to a warm room. Warm the center of the body first—chest, neck, head and groin. Keep dry and wrapped up in warm blankets, including the head and neck.

Signs: Shivering, exhaustion, confusion, fumbling hands, memory loss, slurred speech or drowsiness.

Generators can be helpful when the power goes out. It is important to know how use them safely to prevent carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning and other hazards.

• Generators and fuel should always be used outdoors and at least 20 feet away from windows, doors and attached garages.
• Install working carbon monoxide detectors on every level of your home. Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas that can kill you, your family and pets.
• Keep the generator dry and protected from rain or flooding. Touching a wet generator or devices connected to one can cause electrical shock.
• Always connect the generator to appliances with heavy-duty extension cords.
• Let the generator cool before refueling. Fuel spilled on hot engine parts can ignite.
• Follow manufacturer’s instructions carefully.

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