To the editor: Winter safety tips from the Londonderry Rescue Squad

We at the Londonderry Volunteer Rescue Squad get quite a few calls every winter involving subjects who have slipped and fallen on ice or suffered from exposure because they were unprepared for the conditions or they have been outside for too long. Here are a few cold weather safety precautions:

• Dress warmly, preferably with layers, which trap body heat. Use the correct footwear. Wear warm waterproof boots with good tread and if needed use clip-on cleats for added traction.
• Prep walkways and steps with railings and anti-slip treads and use plenty of sand or salt. In addition, walkways, porches, and entrances should be well lit.
• Shovel snow carefully and slowly. It can dangerously strain your heart, as well as injure your back or neck.
• Know the early signs of hypothermia. If you are violently shivering, are feeling exhausted and confused, have fumbling hands and/or slurred speech please retire to a warm place.
• It is very important for members of the community who wear medical alert bracelets or necklaces to have them on when they are outside. There is a good chance that a subject unable to stand up unaided will suffer from hypothermia, frostbite or worse in a short period of time.

We hope you find these tips useful. Be safe out there. There’s still quite a bit of winter to go.

The Londonderry Volunteer Rescue Squad is on call 24/7, 365 days a year. We are never out of service.

We need your help. To learn more about LVRS, to donate or volunteer please go to londonderryrescuevt.org

David Utiger
Public Relations Office
Londonderry Volunteer Rescue Squad