MAYOR’S CORNER

Happy New Year and best wishes for a prosperous New Year!

With each New Year comes new challenges and some old ones that remain challenging.  Thus, unexpected situations do occur.  Do you have a plan?  Having the resources available to handle an emergency makes it less than an emergency.  This month’s “Corner” is the beginning of a series of articles on emergency planning.  Officer Thom Taylor has developed this series and this is the beginning…  Here’s Thom…

COLD WEATHER EMERGENCY PLANNING

By Officer Thom Taylor

At the Mayor’s request, I am addressing emergency preparedness that will appear in the Chronicle over the next three months.  This first one pertains to cold weather emergency planning.  I would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a happy holiday season!

With winter clearly set upon us, I have information to share with you and your family about planning for cold weather emergencies.  We all need to make certain our families are ready for the season especially when considering some of Clarkson Valley’s hills and driveways and the St. Louis weather.

At home, a cold weather emergency can range from an ice or snowstorm that keeps you from leaving the house for several days, to long-term power outages. Proper planning for winter emergencies should include planning for emergency supplies for all of the members of your family (including pets) to last up to four days, medical needs including a supply of prescription medicines and a first aid kit with instructions, food, water and items for personal warmth (blankets and clothing).  You should also consider your communication needs by keeping a cellular phone handy, emergency power for your cellular phone and a battery or hand-crank powered radio and clock.

The following Cold Weather Emergency Checklist for your home is taken from the http://organizedhome.com/winter-preparedness-checklist website:

Check your home emergency kit against this basic checklist:

• Food that doesn't require heating or refrigeration, such as canned meats, soups and stews, cereal, and energy bars
• Manual can opener
• Paper plates, cups and plastic utensils
• 1 gallon of water per person per day (allow enough for four days)
• Flashlights and batteries
• Battery-powered radio
• Battery-powered clock
• Cellular phone
• First-aid kit (go to http://organizedhome.com/printable/household-notebook/first-aid-checklist for a printable list)
• Four-day supply of prescription medicines
• Blanket and cold-weather clothing for each family member
• Pet food and additional water for household pets

Preparing to travel safely in cold weather also requires some planning. Keep in mind road emergencies can happen at any time, whether you are driving to Grandma’s house on the coast or running a local errand. Cold weather emergencies on the road could include accidents, vehicle mechanical issues or severe weather issues that could leave you or your family stranded. Preparing an old gym bag with some extra items to place in the trunk of your vehicles could make a big difference should any of your family members experience a cold weather emergency while driving.

The following Cold Weather Emergency Checklist for your vehicle is taken from the http://organizedhome.com/winter-preparedness-checklist website:

Make sure automobiles contain the following emergency supplies:

• Bag of sand, road salt or non-clumping cat litter. The bag's extra weight means better traction, and the contents can be spread under slipping tires.
• Ice scraper
• Jumper cables
• Small shovel (to dig snow away from wheels, or scatter sand on roadway)
• Tire chains (every driver should practice putting them on)
• Flares or reflective triangle to warn other motorists if you break down
• Blanket
• Flashlight and batteries
• Gallon jug of drinking water
• First aid kit (go to http://organizedhome.com/printable/household-notebook/first-aid-checklist for a printable list)

When traveling by car, include emergency food and clothing for each traveler. Pack supplies in a backpack in case you need to abandon your car. An emergency backpack should include:

• Jacket, hat, gloves and sturdy, snow-proof boots for each traveler
• Nonperishable food
• Cellular phone
• Money

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