Fw: Safety/Holiday Tip: Ensure save travel this winter

[Ruth Duemler]

-----Original Message-----
From: PEIRSON Peggy <Peggy....@Co.Benton.OR.US>
Date: Thursday, December 07, 2000 11:37 AM
Subject: Safety/Holiday Tip: Ensure save travel this winter

>* Winter Weather Safety Tip
>* Holiday Gift Idea!
>
>12/7/00 -- wx forecasts for the Pacific Northwest include very cold
>temperatures and even the possiblility of snow or freezing rain beginning
>early next week. Good time to make sure your emergency car kits are
stocked
>and ready for travel. Happy & Safe Holidays!
>
>
>Are You Prepared for Emergencies on the Road?
>
>Do you or a family member commute to work every day from Wren, Monmouth,
>Lebanon, Alsea, and Eugene or even further away? Are you or your children
>avid skiers, snowboarders, or snowmobilers? Are you an emergency
>responder - expected to be equipped and able to respond to work in a
>disaster? Are your children away at school with their own car or commuting
>to Eugene, Salem, Portland, Corvallis for classes? If so, each of your
>automobiles especially needs to be properly equipped for emergencies. What
>better way to say "I care about you!" than to give someone an automobile
>safety/emergency kit? [Two years ago, the automobile emergency kits my
>husband and I made and gave to our parents, siblings and college-age
nephews
>for the holidays were a big hit. Other family members hugged us and
>whispered their thanks as well.]
>
>Every car should be equipped with an emergency kit and some basic supplies
>that you can rely upon in the event of a mechanical failure, weather
>emergency, or even operator error - such as an empty gas tank. And, if
>you're a hiker, hunter, snowmobiler, cross-country skier, horseback rider -
>or even out in search of that perfect Christmas tree (with your permit)...,
>it's not a bad idea to also carry an empty backpack with your auto
emergency
>kit. Before you set out, transfer appropriate supplies from your auto
>emergency kit into your backpack, then return them to the main kit when you
>come back to the car. This is particularly true during inclement weather
>when cold, wet and poor visibility conditions can make an inconvenience a
>serious situation. Following are some recommended items to include:
>
>* Maps
>* Compass
>* Gloves and Sturdy Shoes/Socks
>* Water and Food
>* First Aid Kit
>* Necessary Medications
>* Flares
>* Flashlight and Extra Batteries
>* Blankets/"Space Blankets"
>* Rain Gear & Extra Warm Clothing
>* Battery-Powered Radio and Extra Batteries
>* ABC-type Fire Extinguisher
>* Light Sticks, Matches/Candles
>* Shovel
>* Booster Cables
>* Chains/Traction Mats
>* Hand Warmers
>
>Other good suggestions include: kitty litter for ballast and traction
>should your vehicle get stuck, spare fuses, extra batteries for the cell
>phone, books/travel games (for passing the time as you wait in traffic or
>for help to arrive, and any job-specific supplies that you might need if
you
>had to report to work in an emergency.
>
>Before you travel: make sure your Automobile Emergency Kit is stocked and
>complete, let someone know where you're headed and what route you'll take,
>and check road and weather conditions before you leave.
>
>Contact us for more information about: Road and Weather information
numbers
>and web addresses for the Willamette Valley; Frost Bite and Hypothermia;
and
>Emergency Preparedness at home!
>
>Benton County Emergency Management, (541) 766-6864, or stop by our office
at
>553 NW Monroe, Corvallis - across from Central Park and the
Corvallis/Benton
>County Public Library.
>
>Peggy Peirson, Emergency Services Coordinator
>Benton County Sheriff's Office, Emergency Management Division
>Corvallis, OR (541) 766-6864
>
>Together we're building a disaster resilient community!
>
>-30-
>
>Peggy Peirson, Emergency Services Coordinator
>Benton County Emergency Management, Corvallis, OR
>peggy....@co.benton.or.us
>(541) 766-6864, 766-6052 - fax
>Visit our Website! http://osu.orst.edu/groups/bcemc
>"Together We're Building a Disaster Resilient Community!"
>
>"When we dream alone, it is only a dream, but when we dream together, it is
>the beginning of reality." -- Author Unknown
>