Stay Safe From Carbon Monoxide

Dangerous levels of carbon monoxide – a colorless and odorless gas – can be produced from improperly vented furnaces, plugged or cracked chimneys, water heaters, fireplaces, stoves and tail pipes. The most common symptom of carbon monoxide poisoning is headache.  Symptoms may also include dizziness, chest pain, nausea and vomiting. High levels of carbon monoxide can cause unconsciousness and death.


If You Suspect Carbon Monoxide Poisoning:

• Leave the building you are in.
• Get any victims to fresh air immediately.
• Call 9-1-1.
• Call your local utility.

Carbon Monoxide Safety Tips:

• Check that furnaces, boilers, hot water heaters, and clothes dryers are properly ventilated.
• If you have a working fireplace, keep chimneys clean and clear of debris.
• Never use your oven to heat your home.
• Never operate gas or charcoal barbecue grills, kerosene- or oil-burning heaters in an enclosed space.
• Install a carbon monoxide detector in your home. Check and change the batteries every six months when resetting your clocks for Daylight Saving Time.

For information on preparing for other Philadelphia hazards, visit the Prepare for Philadelphia Hazards page. Stay connected with the Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management by following PhilaOEM on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn, MySpace and YouTube.

Prepare Your Household For Emergencies

The Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management encourages you to talk with your family about emergencies: what to do, the emergency supplies you need and how to stay in contact during an emergency.

• Discuss the hazards in your neighborhood. Visit the Prepare for Philadelphia Hazards page for more information.
• Know your neighborhood's Emergency Evacuation Routes.
• Decide on two meeting places where household members should meet after an emergency - one right outside or close to your home and another outside your neighborhood. (If a fire happens, a nearby meeting place helps ensure everyone gets out safely and is accounted for.)  
• Practice evacuating from your home using different exits and practice getting to your meeting places.
• In the event you need to evacuate, have a Go Bag of essential supplies.
• Be prepared to Shelter-in-Place for at least 72 hours. Decide which room to shelter in and develop a Shelter-in-Place Kit.
• Fill out a Household Emergency Plan containing important information for you and your family in an emergency. Give everyone in your home a copy and include copies in your Go Bag and Shelter-in-Place Kit. 
• Plan for everyone in your family especially seniors, people with special needs, non-English speakers and pets.
• Ask a friend or relative who lives outside of the area to be your family's emergency contact. If local phone circuits are busy, long distance calls may be easier to make. (This person can be a hub of information to keep your family connected.)  
• Twice a year - make sure your emergency plan is up to date and check the expiration dates of your emergency supplies when you reset your clocks and change the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors during Daylight Saving Time.

For more information on emergency preparedness, visit the Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management at www.phila.gov/ready. You can also follow PhilaOEM on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn, MySpace and YouTube.

Flood Safety Awareness Week (March 12 - 16): Stay Safe From Flooding

It’s important to be prepared for flooding no matter where you live, but particularly if you are in a low-lying area, near water, or downstream from a dam. Even a very small stream or dry creek bed can overflow and create flooding, so follow these tips:

• Know your area's flood risk. To estimate your flood risk and flood insurance premium, visit www.floodsmart.gov or call 1-800-427-2419.   
• Make an itemized list of personal property, including furnishings, clothing, and valuables.  
• Fill out a Household Emergency Plan containing important contacts for you and your family in the event of any emergency.
• Sign up for ReadyNotifyPA, the region’s emergency text and email alert system, and find out first by logging on to www.readynotifypa.org, text PHILA to 411911 or scan the code below to register. (The alerts are free; however, your wireless provider may charge for text messaging.)

• Prepare a Go Bag that you can grab in case you need to evacuate your home in a hurry. 
  
• Learn the safest route to higher ground from your home or place of business to stay in case you have to evacuate. This should be part of your Household Emergency Plan.  
• If you live in a flood-susceptible area, keep materials, such as sandbags, plywood, plastic sheeting, and lumber, on hand to help protect your home.  
• Do not attempt to cross flood waters. Just six inches of moving water can knock you off your feet. 
• Never drive through flooded roadways. Just two feet of moving water can sweep a Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) off the road. 
• Consider flood insurance. Protection against loss due to floods is not covered under most homeowner's insurance policies. Flood insurance is offered through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) at www.floodsmart.gov or 1-800-427-2419.

Additional flooding tips, such as how to recover from a flood, can be found on the Floods page of the Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management's website. Click on the following links for a list of Shelter-in-Place or Go Bag supplies.

Set Your Clocks, Check Your Stocks

 

When adjusting your clock for Daylight Saving Time on March 11, the Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management reminds you to refresh your emergency supplies and change your smoke alarm battery. Last year, Philadelphia faced major snow storms, a hurricane, a tropical storm, flooding, and even an earthquake. If you are not prepared for an emergency, now is the time to "Get Ready!"

Every household should have a Go Bag to evacuate and a Shelter-in-Place Kit with at least a three-day supply of bottled water, non-perishable foods and essential medications set aside for each member of the family, including pets.

Take the time now to check your supplies:

• Make sure your radio and flashlight work properly.
• Check the expiration date of your extra batteries.
• Open your first-aid kit and look for expiration dates of the items, such as aspirin or any other medications in your supplies.
• Refresh your emergency supply of not-easily-perishable food and water.
• Review your Household Emergency Plan with the members of your household and update the emergency contacts, if necessary.
• Hold an emergency drill, like a home fire drill.
• Remember your pets – include them in your plan and refresh their emergency supply of food and water.
• Register with ReadyNotifyPA, the region's emergency text and email alert system, and find out first in an emergency. The alerts are free but your wireless provider may charge for text message. To sign up, click on the link, text PHILA to 411911 or scan the code below.

For more information on emergency supplies and how to develop a household emergency plan, visit the What to Have: In Your Head, In Your Home, In Your Hand, For Pets, and For Special Needs pages on www.phila.gov/ready. Check the Upcoming Events page of the website to find or schedule an Emergency Preparedness Workshop in your community. You can also stay connected with the Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management by following PhilaOEM on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn, MySpace and YouTube.