With winter weather upon Chicagoland, the Better Business Bureau has some tips on keeping your family safe as snow storms and subfreezing temperatures reach the area.
Get a Kit
• Get an emergency supply kit which includes items like non-perishable food, water, a battery-powered or hand-crank radio, extra flashlights and batteries. Add the following supplies in preparation for winter weather:
o Rock salt to melt ice on walkways
o Sand to improve traction
o Snow shovels and other snow removal equipment.
o Also include adequate clothing and blankets to keep you warm.
Make a Plan
• Make a family emergency plan. Your family may not be together when disaster strikes, so it is important to know how you will contact one another, how you will get back together and what you will do in case of an emergency.
• Plan places where your family will meet, both within and outside of your immediate neighborhood.
Be Informed
• Make sure your home is well insulated and that you have weather stripping around your doors and windowsills to keep the warm air inside.
• Insulate pipes with insulation or newspapers and plastic and allow faucets to drip a little during cold weather to avoid freezing.
• Learn how to shut off water valves (in case a pipe bursts).
• Keep fire extinguishers on hand, and make sure everyone in your house knows how to use them. House fires pose an additional risk as more people turn to alternate heating sources without taking the necessary safety precautions.
• Know ahead of time what you should do to help elderly or disabled friends, neighbors or employees.
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