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FIREBREAK
News, safety tips and profiles of firefighters and medics at Girdwood Volunteer Fire and Rescue. Back to Main News page » Preparing for winter: Driving safety tips November 6, 2008 It is not premature to be discussing safety considerations for the winter season ahead of us, even though winter officially starts mid-December. But since we set our clocks back an hour this past Sunday, I am reminded of few things I need to do before winter officially is here. Such things as getting my car mechanically ready, tires changed, making my "just incase" bag for my car, and replacing the batteries in the smoke detectors at home. For my car I like to make sure I have new windshield wipers, a full tank of windshield fluid, a box of new roadside flares, a good snow shovel, and jumper cables.I also like to have it checked out by my mechanic for any mechanical issues. My mechanic that works on my car makes sure I have a good battery, that my belts are adjusted, and other checks that seem to cost around four hundred dollars. There is a sense of security knowing that my car will always start and run when it is negative twenty outside. It is nice not to hear that "It's too cold outside scream..." that cars make when their fan belts are not adjusted properly. As for flares, I would recommend carrying at least six 30-minute flares. You want to be able to warn people from a safe distance, who might be coming around a curve that something is blocking the roadway ahead of them. Again six is the minimum that I place into my car. My "just incase" bag has an older snow machine suit, snow boots, sleeping bag, working flashlight, and some candy bars. As the name implies, you never know when you might get stuck on the Seward Highway. |