By: Charles Romans
Carter County Times
Roger and Joanne Dunfee with Grayson Emergency Management have a lot to say about prevention and safety.
“We are just over Grayson and not the whole county,” Joanne Dunfee said. “But we have been posting a lot of things on our social media. We cover things like driving in winter weather, what to wear, the early signs of frostbite, and a lot of other things to help people stay safe.”
The Dunfees also did a piece on the Emergency Management social media pages about using a kerosene heater in the home.
Grayson Emergency Management and other groups like Carter County Emergency Management try to mitigate emergencies through warnings and prevention whenever possible. Useful information and advice can always be found on their social media, such as how to prevent hypothermia during the colder months and even heat exhaustion during the summer months. These groups, when paired with local fire departments and other first response agencies, are an invaluable source of information to the communities they serve.
“We have been trying to give people all the information on social media on how to prepare for winter weather,” Dunfee said. “And Harold Horton has a Winter Weather Awareness on the radio (WUGO) that we have had him doing since November. “
“I try to put something out every day,” she said. “I have one coming up about how to drive trucks and SUVs in the snow. And I also want to put out something about a new term in the weather market.”
The new term, she said, is snow squalls.
“They call that a new hazard product from the National Weather Service. A snow squall is when you’re driving and all of a sudden you can’t see and what you should do.”
“Slow down, turn your lights on, and pull over to the side of the road,” Dunfee said is the advice on how to respond.
Emergency Management monitors a lot of things, one of which is the homeless population who are always at high risk during extremes in weather.
“We checked, and there is only one homeless person living in the city,” Dunfee said.
The individual in question refuses to go to homeless shelters, Dunfee said, in spite of the fact that they have been attempting to assist him all summer. Grayson Emergency Management is also responsible for opening shelters under certain conditions, and those locations are posted on social media when necessary.
“What we are planning for is that there are 99 days until spring,” Dunfee laughed.
During that time, they will plan on meeting and overcoming the challenges of winter; and in spring their focus will shift to other concerns such as the possible flooding that accompanies the spring rains. But year round, the Dunfees and their counterparts in Olive Hill and at the county level try their best to prepare residents to be safe.
Obviously, the holidays come with their own specific challenges that encompass everything from extended travel to additional safety measures required for Christmas decoration lighting, Dunfee said. But with a little preparation and awareness, she hopes everyone can have a safe and happy holiday.
Contact the writer at charles@cartercountytimes.com
