Fire Department

555 Washington St. . Red Bluff, CA . (530)527-1126
FAX (530) 529-4768

Winter Season Personal Awareness and Preparedness
Terms to Know During Winter Time:

We typically hear terms like Winter Storm Watch and Wind Chill during the winter months. Whether you’re going to work, running errands, or preparing kids for school, knowing what these terms mean can help make a difference on how well prepared you and your family are when venturing outdoors.

When severe winter weather threatens your area, a Winter Storm Watch is generally given. If you plan to be outdoors for a long period of time or plan to travel, be sure to keep an eye out for changing weather conditions.
If you hear a Winter Storm Warning, this means that severe winter weather conditions have been spotted and are on the way. Travel plans should be minimized if possible.
A Blizzard Warning (which has probably never happened in our area) means that large amounts of falling or blowing snow with winds of at least of 35 miles per hour are expected for several hours. Travel is not recommended during a Blizzard Warning and you should remain indoors.
Wind can also pose a hazard to you and your skin during winter season. Wind Chill is a calculation of how cold it feels outside when temperature and wind speed are combined. A strong wind combined with a temperature of just below freezing can have the same effect as still air temperature about 35 degrees colder.

Dressing for Winter Weather
It’s important to make sure you dress appropriately for winter weather. One technique is to wear multiple layers of thin clothing instead of a single layer of thick clothing. Multiple layers provide greater warmth and, if needed, allow you to take off a layer or two should you become too warm. Since most body heat is lost through the top of your head, be sure to wear a hat and scarf. Also, consider wearing mittens – mittens can provide more warmth than gloves.

Here are some important links to area weather & other conditions:

Northern Sacramento Valley Weather Conditions & Forecast
CalTrans Highway Conditions
Average annual rainfall in Red Bluff
Average maximum temperature in Red Bluff
Average minimum temperature in Red Bluff

Simple Home Safety Kit

Home safety kits are recommended for all residents in our area. Make up your own, but these kits should be stored in an easily accessible location and should include:

Flashlights & compatible spare batteries
Blankets
Canned food (don't forget the can opener!)
Bottled water
First Aid kit
AM radio (tune to local KBLF 1490AM) or weather radio

Prevent Household Accidents...

According to national statistics, every year there are nearly 5 million household accidents which require medical attention.

Organizing your home can prevent accidents. When you start your seasonal cleaning this year, keep in mind that many accidents can be prevented by organizing your storage areas. Making better use of space in your home or apartment can free more room and help prevent falls and other accidents. The National Safety Council offers the following tips for safer, more efficient organization of your home:

Donate usable, unneeded items to a charity or a flea market, or recycle them. If you cannot find a "second life" for unwanted items, it is time to throw them out.

Keep frequently-used items in handy places. Store seasonal and special use items out of the way of daily activities.

Use high and low shelves and cabinets according to size, weight and frequency of needed items. Put lightweight items on higher shelves and heavier items on lower shelves.

Do all your household reaching and climbing on a sturdy step stool or utility ladder with treaded steps.

Keep knives and sharp objects in designated places known to all family members. Compact, plastic boxes with clear tops make safe containers for such small, sharp objects as pins and thumbtacks.

Keep minimal amounts of all flammable liquids on hand. Store them in a garage or an unattached shed, away from all heat sources.

Examine the area under the sink (and on low cabinet shelves) for chemical products that could be hazardous to young children. Store these products in a locked-up drawer or cabinet out of sight and reach of children.

Also, keep cutting instruments and flammables out of the reach of children.

General Safety Tidbits...

Please make sure that your children's bicycles are in good riding condition and that they understand the rules of the road. Also, please make sure they always wear a helmet when riding!

Drivers: please pull safely to the side of the road when you hear or see an emergency vehicle responding to an emergency. Also, please note that it is a violation to drive over any fire hose while it is being used at the scene of an emergency. Fire hose is very expensive (100 feet of 5-inch diameter hose costs nearly $1,000; each engine carries 1,000 feet of such hose). Driving over fire hose may damage it and jeopardize the safety of the crew attacking the fire; violators who drive over our fire hose will be cited.

Plan Your Escape Now---Sit down with your family and make sure that everyone knows what to do in the event of a fire. If possible, make sure you have two ways out of every room and that you have a meeting place outside the house for the whole family. Practice the plan. Even the best plan is no good if you don't practice it! You can do a lot to protect yourself, your family and your property. In fact, you are the key to your safety. We are here to help you! Please call us and we will show you more ways that you can protect yourself all year long.

Do you have a pool or a spa? Remember that curious children and pets are attracted to these and could accidentally fall into an unsupervised pool or spa. Secure the area around the pool and spa and watch your children closely when they are around any water.

Close those doors! For years, the fire service has advocated closing bedroom doors when going to bed at night to provide an added measure of fire safety to occupants as they sleep. In reviewing fire losses and flame and spread patterns, we are thoroughly convinced that fire losses in dwellings could be reduced from 20 to 30 percent by carrying the closed-door concept a step further. Any time you leave your home, take a few minutes to close all interior doors. Foolish, time consuming, or unnecessary, you may say. But the fact remains that a large portion of damage occurring as a result of house fires can be attributed to heat and smoke spreading uninterrupted throughout the entire structure. Without a doubt, a simple matter of closing doors could have a significant effect on the total loss from a fire.

The City of Red Bluff is an equal opportunity provider.