Stay safe and warm in winter weather
BY KADIE TAYLOR
THE LAFAYETTE SUN
CHAMBERS COUNTY — LaFayette Fire Chief Jim Doody is encouraging the community to stay safe and be prepared as cold weather is expected to continue through the upcoming weekend.
“First and foremost, [locals should have] some type of roadside emergency kit, [the kit should have] jumper cables, work gloves, a flashlight, some type of signaling device, road triangles and things like that,” he said. “They make roadside emergency kits pretty compact nowadays [that people can] have in the car during winter travels and temperature extremes. It is recommended to have water, blankets, something to [help you] stay warm — in case your vehicle becomes disabled and your heat’s not working — snacks and things like that… Make sure to check your oil, check your anti-freeze and the vital fluids of your vehicle — keep proper tire tread, especially in winter weather conditions. Unnecessary road travel should be avoided.”
Doody said if someone must travel during winter weather, they should notify a friend or family member beforehand, so if they experience car troubles due to ice and find themselves without phone service, someone can contact first responders.
“If you are stranded and have service, call 911 and let people know you are stranded,” he said. “Tow trucks and recovery vehicles are experts in that field. It may be the ultimate thing where you may have to sit it out and wait, if your car is disabled, so you need to have a blanket, layers of clothes, an extra jacket and have that bottled water. Hopefully, you’re in a spot where you have a signal, but at least get the message out as to where you’re going and things like that. Black ice is bad — I ask everybody just to stay weather aware, follow the news and be on the lookout on social media.”
If winter weather is approaching, Doody said community members should take time to prepare for medical situations that could prevent having to take a medical trip on icy roads. Refilling prescriptions ahead of time, purchasing a blood pressure cuff and having a first aid kit can help households handle medical situations without the danger of driving in hazardous conditions.
“We highly encourage people to utilize 911 wisely,” he said. “If their roads are deemed at the state level as impassable, that could delay or eliminate the chances of us being able to respond. So we always ask for patience and understanding. A lot of people don’t want to drive to the hospital during poor road conditions, but fail to recognize you’re putting emergency crews in jeopardy by having them drive in those conditions as well… So we ask people to take that into consideration and also understand that just because you are taken to a hospital by ambulance does not mean that you will be treated quicker.”
If winter weather reaches the stage where power outages are a risk, Doody said to purchase shelf-stable foods that are easy to prepare ahead of time.
“Get something that’s easy and that you don’t have to use an electric can opener to open, a trail mix — something like that, is good to have,” he said. “Water is always [important] because you don’t have to worry about refrigeration as an issue. You also want to limit the number of times you’re opening the refrigerator door if you lose power to maintain that cold inside the refrigerator.”
Ultimately, Doody said when winter weather creates hazardous conditions, it is important that locals remember first responders are working to ensure the safety of everyone — and patience is key.
“Just be mindful, be considerate to others and be understanding in the event something does happen, it’s going to take emergency crews, light and power, the police department, the fire department and EMS a lot longer to get to you,” he said. “So be kind and considerate to them, because they are putting their lives on the line to be out in hazardous conditions, if they’re able to do so, it may come to a point where we may just not be able to respond… Be prepared — emergencies happen, these things do occur — but understand the situation as a whole for everybody, not just you as an individual, because it really comes down to everybody’s safety.”
