Cleveland Holiday Health & Safety

Hey Cleveland! You may remember a few weeks ago, we posted an article on safety tips for the winter season. Now, with Christmas just around the corner, we want to share some more tips to stay safe and warm this holiday season!

Put Your Junk In Your Trunk!

With all the last minute shopping going on, it’s important to remember that most thefts are crimes of opportunity. That new laptop or game console left in your backseat could end up under someone else’s Christmas tree. Store your belongings either in your trunk or out of view.

Snow Down, Heads Up

You’ll hear it everywhere you go, no matter what season: “Stay aware of your surroundings!” Snow drifts, ice patches, and freezing slush are all hazards this time of year. If you have to travel on foot, do so with caution. Wait for all cars to come to complete stops before crossing in their path.

How The Scammers Stole Christmas

Christmas season is a time for frivolous shopping and festive impulse buying, but it’s also a time for online scammers to come out of the woodwork. Keep track of every website you purchase a gift from. Be wary of giving your banking information to any site not registered with HTTPS.  If you have an older adult in your life, offer to do their Christmas shopping for them, as the elderly are often the victims of online scams. Finally, keep an eye on your bank account. While most banks will alert their customers if they detect fraud, the assortment of purchases that one might make this time of year can throw off even the pros. If you find any payments or billings that don’t look familiar, contact your bank immediately.

An Age Old Tradition

Everyone celebrates the holidays in their own way, and whether we like it or not, that will include drinking.  Around and on all majors holidays, the number of drunk drivers will spike. If you know you’ll be getting a little too festive to be behind the wheel, make sure you plan accordingly. Assign a designated driver, have money ready for a lift service, or find the most efficient RTA route home. For those who are wondering, alcohol does NOT warm you up, instead it only leaves you more vulnerable to the cold.

Layer, Layer, Everywhere…

If you’ve survived a Cleveland winter, you probably don’t need to be told this next tip, but for those who have yet to: Layer up! The temperature will fluctuate over the course of the day, and for those making a morning commute, you may need to add or remove a layer by the time you’re heading home. Any wet or damp articles of clothing should not be worn outside. Be smart about your outfit choices this time of year. Those canvas shoes may look nice, but they’ll do little to protect your feet against the elements.

Caution: Frost Will Bite!

It’s important to know the signs of frostbite. First and foremost, skin that has a waxy appearance likely has late stage frostbite. Emergency medical assistance is REQUIRED. Failure to do could result in loss of limb and even death.  For those of you with children, keep an eye on them if they choose to play out in the snow. If they comment on any numbness, their skin turning red, or certain parts of their body no longer being cold with no additional heating, these are all signs of oncoming frostbite. The person should be taken to a warm environment. They can also submerge whatever part is frostbitten in WARM water. Hot water will just cause additional damage to the skin.

Trees Are People Too!

It’s important to keep your Christmas tree watered! Forgetting to water will lead to your Christmas tree drying out and losing it’s pines. While an ugly tree is a deterrent for most people, not watering your tree is also a fire hazard! As seen in the video above, a tree that hasn’t been watered for a month is primed to go up in flames, especially when wrapped in electrical wiring and surrounded in presents.

From all of us here at TV20, we wish you a happy holidays!