As the 2022 hurricane season comes to a close, Escambia County continues to urge residents to remain weather-prepared during the colder months.
Escambia County encourages residents to observe the five Ps of cold weather safety:
- Protect People: Remember to dress in layers and wear a hat and gloves. It is important to try to stay out of the wind and to stay dry. Also, remember to check on young children and elderly family and neighbors who are the most sensitive to cold weather. If the temperature cannot be maintained at a home, make temporary arrangements to stay elsewhere, including with friends and family.
- Protect Pets: If cold weather is in the forecast, be sure to bring outdoor pets inside or give them a warm shelter to stay in.
- Protect Plants: Cover cold-sensitive plants to protect them from dangerous temperatures.
- Protect Pipes: Cover pipes and allow outdoor faucets to slowly drip to prevent them from freezing and breaking.
- Practice Fire Safety: Use safe heating sources indoors. Do not use fuel-burning devices such as grills; they release carbon monoxide, which is a deadly gas. Also, make sure to use space heaters according to their instructions and be attentive to open flames.
"Hurricane season has officially closed for 2022 and, thankfully, we were not impacted," said Escambia County Emergency Manager Travis Tompkins. "We did, however, serve our sister counties in south Florida by deploying with our mobile command unit to Tallahassee to help the state of Florida with logistical operations. We now enter our cold weather season that started a little early this year. This time of year it is very important to remember the five Ps. Avoid carbon monoxide poisoning which is prevalent this time of year. Remember to plug space heaters into walls and never into extension cords. Don’t use a kitchen stove or camping stove inside of your house for heating. Finally, encourage people you encounter experiencing homelessness to find out where they can stay during cold weather nights. There are numerous resources in our community that can accommodate every circumstance. Call 211 when temperatures drop to 40 degrees or below to find out where you can seek shelter."
Escambia County Fire Rescue encourages residents to practice space heater safety and know the potential risks associated with home heating equipment.
Home fires occur more in the winter months than any other time of year.
According to the National Fire Protection Association, heating equipment is one of the leading causes of home fire deaths and space heaters account for 4 out of 5 home heating fire deaths.
While a joyous time of year, cold weather, holiday decorations and festivities can create serious fire dangers. Escambia County Fire Rescue, in collaboration with the Pensacola Fire Department, will launch its annual “Keep the Wreath Green” fire safety campaign today, Dec. 1. Firefighters hope to reduce the number of fires by promoting simple, life-saving holiday safety tips each day in December.
Escambia County Public Safety is responsible for keeping citizens safe from emergencies and both man-made and natural disasters. Its divisions include Emergency Communications, Emergency Management, Emergency Medical Services, Fire Rescue and Pensacola Beach Lifeguards. For the latest information on emergency management services in Escambia County, residents are encouraged to sign up for emergency alerts on MyEscambia.com.
