Winter Storm Terms Winter Safety Tips

November-December 2015 ONTARIO COUNTY Volume 17 #6 I wanted to share a couple of general safety tips for the coming winter weather. Winter Storm Terms Here’s an updated list of terms used by the National Weather Service. Blizzard – sustained or gusty winds of 35 mph or more, and falling or blowing snow creates visibilities at or below ¼ mile for at least 3 hours. Blizzard Warning – a blizzard is possible and the public should seek shelter immediately as snow and strong winds could combine to produce blinding snow, near zero visibility, deep drifts and life threatening wind chill. Blowing snow - wind-driven snow that reduces visibility and will cause drifting. Blowing snow may be falling snow and/or snow on the ground picked up by the wind. Dense Fog Advisory - fog reducing visibility to ¼ mile or less over a widespread area. Freezing rain - rain with a temperature below freezing. The freezing rain will coat surfaces like trees, cars and roads forming a coating or glaze of ice. Even small accumulations could be a significant hazard. Frost-freeze advisory – temperatures below freezing expected that could damage to plants, crops, or fruit trees. Ice storms - winter storms that may include freezing rain or sleet. Lake Effect Snow Advisory – lake effect snow expected that will cause significant inconvenience. Lake Effect Snow Warning - heavy lake effect snow that is imminent or occurring. Sleet - rain that turns into frozen ice pellets before reaching the ground. It usually bounces off and does not stick to objects but can accumulate like snow and cause a hazard to motorists on roadways. Snow flurries - light snow falling over short durations with little or no accumulation. Snow showers - snow falling at varying intensities for brief periods of time with some accumulation possible. Snow squalls - brief, intense snow showers accompanied by strong, gusty winds. Accumulation may be significant. Wind Chill Advisory - wind chill temperatures low enough to pose a threat of hypothermia or frostbite if caution is not exercised. Wind Chill Warning - wind chill temperatures at or below 25 degrees below Zero that could be hazardous to life in minutes of exposure. Winter Storm Outlook - conditions are possible for a winter storm. It is usually issued 3 - 5 days in advance of the storm. Winter Storm Warning - hazardous winter weather (e.g. heavy snow, heavy freezing rain or heavy sleet) is imminent or occurring. Warnings are generally issued 12 to 24 hours before the storm is expected. Winter Storm Watch – a possibility of a blizzard, heavy snow, heavy freezing rain or sleet. A watch is usually issued 12 to 48 hours before the storm is expected. Winter-weather advisory - accumulations of snow, freezing rain, freezing drizzle, and sleet will cause significant inconveniences and, if caution is not exercised, could lead to life-threatening situations. Winter Safety Tips Here’s this year’s winter safety tips article. Prepare for winter. Avoid driving if fatigued. Listen to and follow safety recommendations from weather reports. Visibility is reduced in snowy weather and darkness falls early so wear bright colored clothing or reflective material if you plan to be outside. Winterize your car before winter begins. Check anti-freeze levels, make sure tires are properly inflated, check your battery, if you have snow tires, put them on and replace worn windshield wipers. Create a winter emergency kit with jumper cables, tow chain, tool kit, first aid kit, blankets, mittens, socks, hats, flashlight, ice scraper, warning device and bag of rock salt. Also pack canned nuts and hard candy. Winter driving. Avoid CO poisoning, don’t “warm up” your car in an enclosed area like a garage. Records show vehicle accidents account for 70% of injuries during winter storms while the storm itself is responsible for 25% of injuries. The most common winter accident is the rear-end collision. If roads are snowy or icy, slow down. The “rule of the thumb” for following distant on dry road is 3 to 4 seconds behind the car in front. Following distance drops to 8 to 10 seconds when driving on snow- covered roads. Never use your cruise control on wet, snowy or icy roads. Dress for the cold. Dress in layers so you can remove layers if you become too warm. Hats reduce heat loss, so cover head and ears with a warm hat. Be alert to wind chill, wind greatly speeds up body heat loss. Stay dry as wet clothing chills the body rapidly. Remove wet clothes and shoes as soon as you can get out of the cold weather. A child should have one more layer of clothing than an adult. However, don’t dress infants in heavy clothes. Dress them in thin layers of clothes to help keep them dry and warm. You can use blankets as necessary but be careful not to overheat an infant. Winter health. Cold weather can put a strain on your heart so take breaks when working outside. Shovel snow properly by keeping your back straight and lift gently from the knees and hips. Lift small amounts when shoveling heavy snow, slush or ice. Stop shoveling if you feel pain or become short of breath. Walking on ice is dangerous. Many slip and fall injuries result from falls on ice-covered surfaces. If you must walk on an icy surface, take short steps and keep your knees bent. Cold injuries. Be aware that skin exposed to the cold may be prone to cold injury such as frostbite and hypothermia. Frostbite happens when body tissue is frozen. It usually affects fingers, toes, ears and your nose. Signs of frostbite include tingling, numbness or pain in the area. Skin may be white, pale or gray. Re-warm skin with dry clothes or blanket. NEVER rub any frozen body part! If you suspect frostbite, seek medical advice. Hypothermia is abnormally low body temperature. In hypothermia, your body is losing heat faster than it can produce it when you are exposed to the cold. It can come on more suddenly if you become wet or are exposed to wind during the winter or have some severe health conditions. Symptoms of hypothermia include skin is cold to touch, shivering, exhaustion, and confusion. Late symptoms would include signs of reduced mental capacity such as slurred speech, drowsiness and unconsciousness. Hypothermia is a serious emergency and you need to seek medical care immediately. Call 911. We treat hypothermia by re- warming the body. We start the process by getting to a warm, dry place, removing wet clothing and re-warming the victim until help arrives. I hope everyone has a safe winter. Let it snow! Sherman Manchester, Safety Coordinator EMPLOYEE UPDATES RETIREMENTS John Madison, Pump Station & Sewer Line Maintainer, Cdga Lake Sewer District, 9/30/15 Cheryl Erdle, Technical Specialist, Information Services, 9/30/15 John Garvey, County Administrator, 10/3/15 Cheryl Wyffels, Cleaner, County Buildings, 10/3/15 Marna Evans, Typist, District Attorney, 10/13/15 Denise Spruill, Senior Social Welfare Examiner, Social Services, 10/24/15 Matthew McDonald, Investigator, Office of the Sheriff, 11/7/15 RESIGNATIONS Jason Preston, Correction Officer, Office of the Sheriff, 10/17/15 Amber Beman, Correction Officer-PT, Office of the Sheriff 11/14/15 PROMOTIONS Mary Krause, Director of Human Resources became County Administrator, 10/3/15 John Storer, County Police Lieutenant to Chief Deputy Sheriff, Office of the Sheriff, 10/20/15 Wanda Alger-Smith, Motor Vehicle Services Rep to Senior MVSP, Motor Vehicle, 10/26/15 Gregory Shaffer, Investigator to County Police Lieutenant, Office of the Sheriff, 11/8/15 Karen Carson, Social Welfare Examiner to Senior Social Welfare Examiner, Social Services, 11/9/15 NEW EMPLOYEES/APPOINTMENTS Rebecca Packard, Office Specialist 1, Public Health, 9/21/15 Marsha Cotteleer, Human Services Worker, Office for the Aging, 9/28/15 Adam Chapman, Correction Office-FT, Office of the Sheriff, 9/28/15 Brian DeWaters, Correction Officer-FT, Office of the Sheriff, 9/28/15 Charmaine Gallagher, Social Welfare Examiner, Social Services, 10/13/15 Emily Gray, Correction Officer-PT, Office of the Sheriff, 10/26/15 Chad Clark, Correction Officer-FT, Office of the Sheriff, 10/26/15 Matthew Speers, Dispatcher 1, 911 Center, 11/2/15 Tanya Cornell-Kestler, Office Specialist 1 District Attorney, 11/9/15 LeeAnn Haust, Workforce Development Counselor, Workforce Development, 11/9/15 NAME CHANGE Michelle Natoli , Confidential Secretary, Public Defender, became Michelle Natoli-Bruder, 9/27/15 Emily Phillips, Human Resources Healthy Rewards As you may know, effective 12/31/2015, Healthy Rewards – the online Wellness Program offered to members enrolled in Healthy Blue - will be eliminated. As of 1/1/2016, you will no longer be able to access the Healthy Rewards website to cash out your Rewards. If you do not cash out your Rewards prior to 12/30/2015, the vendor managing the program for Excellus, Health Ways, will send you a check for the ending balance in your account, this process will take approximately 6 weeks. Please keep in mind that any Rewards paid at $600 or more will require an IRS Form 1099 be issued and you will pay taxes on that amount. To avoid this, please be sure you do not have remaining money in your account which rolled over from 2015. If you would like assistance with cashing out your Rewards, please attend a Healthy Rewards training session. Sessions are listed below. Building 3019 – Room 221 November 24th 11:00am - 12:00pm December 10th 2:00pm - 4:00pm December 15th 11:00am -12:00pm Questions? Contact Human Resources at 585-396-4465. 2015 Wellness Fair and Flu Clinic The 2015 Wellness Fair and Flu Clinic was, once again, well attended by employees and the public.

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