COLUMBUS, Ohio — This week is winter safety awareness week.

What You Need To Know

  • The holiday season is often coupled with winter weather

  • Experts suggest checking or changing batteries in fire and carbon monoxide detectors 

  • It's important to have a winter weather emergency plan 

Gov. Mike DeWine’s office has partnered with the Ohio Committee for Severe Weather Awareness to ensure Ohioans have all the resources they need for a safe winter season.

“Those folks are also set as preparedness partners and stakeholders,” said Sima Merick, who serves as the executive director for the Ohio Emergency Management Agency. “They may have some resources available or know where those resources can be obtained.”

They suggest: 

  • Have your furnace and fireplace inspected by a qualified technician
  • Check and/or replace the batteries in your fire and carbon monoxide detectors
  • Have a blanket, first aid kit, snacks and a couple bottles of water in your car in case you get stuck on the road

Ohio EMA also suggests creating a family plan in case of an emergency.

“You communicate with the family, right?” said Merick. “You say, 'in the event you're out or we're out, how do we notify each other of bad weather?' Or if the power is out or where to go, if you would be separated because you can't get home because of a winter storm or ice. So those would be the top things I would recommend.”

Last December brought some of the state’s most severe winter weather events.

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