Jeb Brian Lacey, CEM

Emergency Management Coordinator

Victoria Office of Emergency Management

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                              FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:

January 7, 2010                                                                     Office of Emergency Management : (361) 485-3362

Cold Weather Preparedness,

Including Special Needs Partners

(VICTORIA, TX)  The Victoria Office of Emergency Management encourages you to consider reviewing safe-heating practices.  While the Victoria area is not expected to experience large power outages, as the temperature drops, the use of unorthodox and often unsafe home-heating practices becomes more prevalent. 

For additional information see: Texans with Disabilities Preparedness for Cold Weather. This document is available on the homepage of the City’s website, www.victoriatx.org.

Heating Checklist

• Have at least one of the following heat sources in case the power goes out:
• Fireplace with plenty of dry firewood or gas log fireplace
• Portable space heaters or kerosene heaters (not recommended for use inside of homes, must have adequate ventilation)
• Check with your local fire department to make sure that kerosene heaters are legal in your area.
• Never place a space heater on top of furniture or near water.
• Use electric space heaters with
• automatic shut-off switches and
• non-glowing elements.
• Keep heat sources at least 3 feet away from furniture and drapes.
• Never leave children unattended near a space heater.
• Have the following safety equipment:
• Chemical fire extinguisher
• Smoke alarm in working order (Check once a month and change batteries once a year.)
• Carbon monoxide detector
• Never use a gasoline generator indoors, inside the garage, or near the air intake of your home because of the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning:
• Do not use the generator or appliances if they are wet.
• Do not store gasoline indoors where the fumes could ignite.
• Use individual heavy-duty, outdoor-rated cords to plug in other appliances.
• Never use ovens for heating your home. (Difficult to see the pilot light to ensure that it stays lit.)

For further information please contact the Victoria Office of Emergency Management, 485-3362