Uko Akpanuko
Daily Herald
It is no news that weather is cold and will remain so for the next couple of days as the winter progresses. With a temperature of – 37 ° as at the morning of Jan. 23, its To help residents cope with the low temperature, the harsh weather and the freezing cold everyone is advised to stay indoors if they don’t have to go out.
“If you don’t have to venture out then don’t go out, It is very cold and will likely remain so for the next few days if not more,” Lyle Karasiuk, the Director of Public Affairs, Parkland Ambulance Care, Prince Albert said.
But many of the residents have to go to work, kids will go to school, we need to get groceries and engage in other activities for the day. Karasiuk offered some tips for the cold weather.
“Everyone is advised to dress for the weather, that means we dress in layers. You need to have a warm layer next to your body preferably something cotton, a Tee shirt or shirt,” Lyle said. “Then something that insulates you and then a windproof outer proof layer, that is usually your jacket. Most people forget that middle insulating layer and then they find that they get cold.”
He advised other things like good winter boots, long underwear, good mitts, scarfs and head protection and a toque.
“We lose more than half of our body’s heat from our head, so if we don’t protect our head we are losing a lot of heat” he added.
With the temperature at level and it is this cold , it is common to develop frostbite which typically affects the cheeks, earlobe, face, nose, fingers or toes and spreads to the whole body which can cause death or other serious harm to the body.
“We can rub our hands together to generate warmth or heat, or hold our hands to our faces to stay warm. rubbing the hand when you have minor frostbite is not bad because the friction creates the heat,” Karasiuk said.
“But we have to remember that our body is made up of a lot of water, so as the temp drops it gets cold and starts to harden. Once the fingers or body are hardened, then get indoors to warm up more quickly and don’t rub them because rubbing at that stage does more damage.”
Use a warm bath or put your hands under the kitchen tap with warm water flowing or put your feet in a container with warm water.
He also advised that extreme cold can also cause hypothermia – a low body temperature, and the signs include slurred speech, not acting normal, not making sense
If you have an accident and your car breaks down, please stay in your car so that you stay warm. Call 911 or any emergency number to come to the rescue
Also he advised that residents should not forget about their pets “they need protection from the cold, don’t leave them outside unattended because they also can get frostbite on their feet very quickly and they can suffer from hypothermia and it can be quite devastating for them. So keep our pets warm and safe.”
“You are required by the provincial law to have a carbon monoxide detector in your home. If you are having trouble with your heating system, make sure you get a heating contractor to come and check your furnace as quickly as possible,” he said.
“Carbon monoxide is a by- product of combustion.”
Everyone should have a carbon monoxide detector in their homes so that they can be safe.
Keep the vents free of snow and check to ensure that exhaust pipes are kept free.
