This video explains even more ways to keep your home or apartment safe during winter.
The Federal Alliance for Safe Homes, also known as FLASH, is providing helpful safety tips for the winter season.
FLASH, a nonprofit organization, is promoting increased safety awareness during this winter season. Utah's winter temperatures can be extremely cold. Severe winter storms and conditions in 2013 resulted in 46 deaths, heavy reparations for thousands of families and millions in expenses, according to the National Weather Service.
'It’s important to realize that a lot of the accidents that do happen have simple prevention techniques,” said Anna Alexopoulos, communications project coordinator for FLASH. “We’re really trying to increase the awareness of the right way and the affordable way to mitigate problems; then you know you can bounce back a lot quicker and be more resilient.'
As the temperatures this winter season continue to fall, FLASH provides several useful tips to help keep homes safe and warm.
To prevent your pipes from freezing, people can do the following:
1. Insulate their pipes using insulating foam, which will stop the pipes from freezing and save energy.
2. Cover outdoor faucets.
3. Drip their indoor faucets. This simple step releases pressure within the pipes, decreasing the chances of a rupture.
4. Seal all air leaks around the house using caulk, spray foam or weather stripping.
In case of a Power-Outage people can do the following:
1. Always have a supply of flashlights, batteries and a battery-powered radio. People shouldn't use candles.
2. During a power outage, keep one light switched on, which will alert them when power resumes.
3. People shouldn't call 911 during a power outage. They should use a battery-powered radio for updates.
4. Be sure to always have at least half a tank of gas in their cars. Gas station pumps run on electricity, and not all of them have back-up generators in the case of outages.
5. Keep some extra cash around the house (ATMs also run on electricity).
6. Look out for the elderly, neighbors, friends, whoever may need help during an outage.
Visit FLASH's website for more helpful hints