Help EMS Help You: Clear the Way

Although spring is almost upon us, winter may still rear its ugly head. It won’t come as a surprise if March brings us more snow.

So please remember to keep your driveways and sidewalks cleared of snow and ice and your garage accessible to help avoid unnecessary accidents.

In the event you need to call 911, Weston EMS needs to have clear access to your driveway and doorways to be able to safely enter and exit your home.

Keep your garage clear

Please ensure that your garage has a clear path if it is necessary to exit via the garage to the outside of your house. Make sure that ladders, shovels, shelving and other equipment are properly secured, not blocking exits or entrances or hampering safe passage. Don’t wait until an emergency arises.

It is important to be able to enter and exit through the garage, particularly during inclement weather, not just during emergencies. If there are objects obstructing a clear path to and from the garage, it invites unnecessary accidents. Squeezing through small spaces and having to move objects that are not secured or blocking a path can be challenging and time consuming and cause unnecessary delays for EMTs who are managing patient care and trying to insure safe transport.

Driveways and walkways

Clear your driveways of snow and ice as soon as possible. Accidents can happen when ice melts and freezes over again. Use some sand for traction and something to melt the ice in the area that surrounds your mailbox, doorways and garage.

Be sure to keep the walkways to your front or side door clear of snow and ice to reduce the chance of slipping and falling.

In the event Weston EMS has to pay a visit to your house, it’s important to have a clear entrance and exit from your house. EMS volunteers must be able to bring a stretcher or another extrication device into your home safely to transport a patient to the ambulance via a side entrance or the garage if the front entrance is not accessible because of snow or ice.

#Stay safe.