Emergency Preparedness - Power Outage
Power Outages: Do you know what to do when the lights go out?
Fall and winter season brings cold and windy weather, and the possibility of downed trees and poles causing power outages. It’s important to know a few basics when it comes to both food and personal safety while experiencing outages in your home.
Tips for food safety during an outage:
• Avoid opening and closing both the refrigerator and freezer doors to maintain the cold temperature.
• A half filled freezer will hold food safely for 24 hours while a fully filled freezer will safely hold food for up to 48 hours.
• Quickly move items in the refrigerator to a cooler (low cost Styrofoam coolers work too) filled with ice to preserve perishable items.
• Prioritize which items are more perishable than others and eat the most perishable first
When the power is out, take special precautions to avoid indoor cold related emergencies.
Acute hypothermia - Occurs when a person suffers rapid loss of body heat, which typically occurs from immersion in cold water.
Subacute hypothermia - This happens usually in cool outdoor temperatures below 50°F) when a person doesn’t have adequate clothing, wind chill susceptibility or lack the ability to cope with the cold due to their personal health and nutrition.
Chronic hypothermia – Typically occurs from ongoing exposure to cold indoor temperatures below 60°F.
Be sure to keep warm clothing and blankets available.
Treat hypothermia by bundling the person in warm blankets and covering their head with blankets or a knit cap. Let them take sips of a warm drink – not alcohol. Do not rub body parts that appear to be frostbitten. If the person is losing consciousness, call 9-1-1 immediately.
Read rest of article at- http://www.zirana.com/cupertino/city_news/december_simply_safe_.html
