For Immediate Release

Friday, Jan. 29, 2015

Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: john@jgpr.net

North Haven Fire Department Offers Cold Weather Safety Tips

NORTH HAVEN — Chief Paul Januszewski and the North Haven Fire Department are asking residents to follow several safety procedures this winter to ensure they remain safe, especially during inclement weather.

“While we’ve yet to be hit hard by snow, it’s likely we’ll be impacted by at least one major storm this winter,” Chief Januszewski said. “To best ensure safety, we ask that residents take extra precautions this season surrounding their homes and vehicles.”

North Haven Fire offer the following tips:

• Never use your oven as a heat source.
• Do not use electric or space heaters while sleeping.
• Place electric or space heaters at least three feet away from bedding or combustible materials.
• Keep stocks of batteries on hand for radios and flashlights in case of a power outage.
• Never leave candles unattended.
• Make sure phones, laptops and other communication devices are charged.
• Beware of carbon monoxide and stay safe by never warming up your car in the garage, servicing your heating system at least once per year, and making sure you have working carbon monoxide detectors in your home.
• Test smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors, and change batteries twice per year. Make sure smoke detectors are working on every floor of your home.
• Reserve calling 911 for emergencies only.

Before and after a snow storm, residents should also remember not to park on the streets, especially overnight, to allow plows to clear routes.

After the snow falls, you can help the North Haven Fire Department by shoveling out your nearest fire hydrants. Also, make sure that your home or business sidewalks are properly shoveled, and place salt or ice melt to prevent people from falling.

If roads become impassable by debris or snow, notify the police and highway departments, which will be out to ensure roads remain open at all time.

When shoveling, or walking outside for more than a few minutes, dress appropriately, with exposed skin covered, and wear a hat and gloves. Frostbite can strike quickly when temperatures are this low. Do what you can to avoid getting wet and take frequent breaks.

ALWAYS clear the tailpipe of a vehicle that is buried in snow BEFORE you start it. Failure to do so can be fatal for those inside the vehicle.

Electricity: United Illuminating

Contact the United Illuminating Company for all power outages at 1-800-7-CALL (1-800-722-5584). The Town of North Haven does not control power outage restoration.

Emergency numbers

Call 911, a direct line to the police department and fire/EMS, for emergencies only. All other questions or concerns should be reported to the North Haven Fire Department’s business line, 203-239-5321 Ext 100.

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