Staying warm safely when the heat goes out

Older adults lose body heat more easily than younger people, and babies sleeping in cold rooms are at risk of hypothermia. Set up a safe backup before winter, then keep the heat you have in one room when the furnace stops.

Before winter

• Keep a backup heat source readyExtra blankets and warm coats count, and so does a fireplace with dry firewood or an electric space heater.
• Use an electric space heater with an automatic shut-off switch
• Put battery-powered carbon monoxide alarms in the house
• Keep flashlights and lanterns with fresh batteries in place of candlesCandles start house fires during outages. If you use one, never leave it lit in an empty room.
• Have the heating system serviced by a qualified technician every year

When the heat goes out

• Pick one room to keep warm and close the doors to the rest
• Block the drafts under the doors with towels
• Close the curtains, or cover the windows, at night
• Keep the doors to the outside shut as much as you can
• Never use the stove or oven to heat the house
• Never run a generator, grill or camp stove inside, in the basement or in the garageTheir exhaust carries carbon monoxide, which can kill. A generator goes at least 20 feet from the windows, doors and vents.
• Keep a space heater 3 feet from curtains, bedding and furniturePlug it straight into the wall, never into an extension cord, and keep children away from it.
• Let the faucets drip and open the cabinets under the sinksThe moving water and the warm air keep the pipes from freezing. Thaw a frozen pipe with a hair dryer, never a torch.

Babies and older adults

• Dress a baby in warm sleepwear and keep pillows and soft bedding out of the crib
• Arrange to stay somewhere else if the house can't be kept warm for a baby
• Check the indoor temperature often if you're over 65, and check on older neighbors
• Know the signs of hypothermiaIn adults, look for shivering, exhaustion, confusion, fumbling hands, slurred speech and drowsiness. A baby with hypothermia has bright red, cold skin and very little energy.

If someone's temperature drops below 95°F, get medical help right away. While you wait, move them to the warmest room and take off any wet clothing. Warm the center of the body first: the chest, neck, head and groin. Warm drinks help, but never alcohol, and never give a drink to someone who isn't awake. Hypothermia can set in above 40°F when someone is wet from rain or sweat.

Running a portable generator safely covers the generator in detail, and space heater safety covers placing and plugging in a heater.