Firefighters urge people to take extra care during severe cold weather
10:20am Saturday 4th February 2012 in Where I Live By Kelly Smale
Firefighters from London Fire Brigade practice their water rescue skills on a frozen pond in Clapham
WITH the Met Office issuing a severe cold weather warning this weekend, firefighters are urging people to take extra care and stay safe.
London Fire Brigade is on standby with equipment including emergency rescue boats, inflatable rescue paths, mud lances, thermal clothing and dry suits.
The Brigade’s assistant commissioner for operations and mobilising, Dave Brown, said: “When freezing weather strikes, people often put themselves in dangerous situations. If you think wandering onto a frozen pond is a good idea, it’s not. You run the risk of hypothermia, or even worse.
“If you use heaters or fires in your home, please be extra careful. We’ve recently heard of people putting heaters and hairdryers in their beds to stay warm and this is a disaster waiting to happen.”
Advice from London's firefighters
- Ensure pipes in your home are properly lagged, in order to reduce the risk of flooding caused by frozen pipes. The number of flooding incidents often shoots up during very cold weather.
- Take extra care in the home to avoid fires. Make sure heaters and fires are well away from flammable items like curtains or bedding.
- Drive carefully on icy roads.
- Stay well away from frozen ponds and lakes. London’s firefighters are called to rescue people and pets who have fallen through or become trapped on ice every year.
