We received this news release from Wisconsin Emergency Management about preparing for winter and Winter Awareness Week November 5-9, 2012.
 |
| Photo by Rick Miller, Milton Courier |
Are You Ready for Winter?
“Get an emergency kit in your car. It could save your life”
Governor Scott Walker has declared November 5-9, 2012 as Winter Awareness Week in Wisconsin. The annual campaign, sponsored by Wisconsin Emergency Management (WEM), its ReadyWisconsin preparedness program and NOAA’s National Weather Service (NWS), is to remind people to be prepared for winter conditions that could threaten their safety.
“The number one thing to do: make sure you have an emergency supply kit in your car – it could save your life,” says Tod Pritchard, Emergency Preparedness Coordinator at Wisconsin Emergency Management.
ReadyWisconsin will air Television and Radio Public Service Announcements in November, urging viewers and listeners to keep an emergency kit in their vehicles. Wisconsin residents are also encouraged to sign up for a chance to win a winter survival kit on the ReadyWisconsin website: readywisconsin.wi.gov. Share your winter survival story on Facebook for another chance to win: www.facebook.com/readywisconsin.
Winter storms are considered deceptive killers because most deaths are indirectly related to the storm. For example, in the last five years Wisconsin has averaged 56,000 motor vehicle crashes during winter months. An average of 55 people are killed and 6,000 injured on icy or snow-covered road.
Carbon monoxide poisoning is also a danger. According to the Centers for Disease Control, carbon monoxide is the leading cause of accidental poisoning deaths in the United States, with more than 20,000 people visiting the emergency room and nearly 500 killed each year from overexposure to the gas.
Now is the time to winterize your car and home, gather items for an emergency kit in your car, and make sure you have a NOAA Weather Radio with fresh batteries. Additional winter weather tips and how to put together a winter emergency kit are available at the ReadyWisconsin website (readywisconsin.wi.gov). In addition, there are numerous winter storm maps and a history of Wisconsin's winter weather produced by the National Weather Service. For the complete media packet - go to http://ready.wi.gov/winter/docs/Winter_Awareness_Media_Packet_2012.pdf
