MAKE SURE YOUR NOSE KNOWS

Most homes in New York City use natural gas to fuel stoves, furnaces, and hot water heaters. It is efficient and cost effective, but it can also be dangerous. Natural gas is odorless so distributors add mercaptan, a harmless chemical with a sulfur smell, as a safety precaution. Take some time to familiarize your family with this smell so they will know what to do in case of a leak.

If you smell rotten eggs in your home, evacuate immediately. Call your gas provider from outside your building and let them do the investigating.

• Learn more about natural gas safety
• Download Con Edison's Gas Safety Brochure (in PDF)
• View Keyspan's Gas Safety Tips
• Read the OEM Tip of the Week online

HAVE AN OLD-FASHIONED PHONE HANDY

Thanks to modern technology, telephones with cords are a thing of the past for most people. Why be tethered to your phone if you can use a cordless? But if the power goes out, you'll wish you had that cord. Keep an old-fashioned phone with a cord that does not require electricity in your Emergency Supply Kit.

• Learn more about what to put in an Emergency Supply Kit
• Read the OEM Tip of the Week online

PREPARE WITH THE ONE YOU LOVE

It's Valentine's Day this week, and there is no better way to show you care than by putting your loved ones' safety first. When you've finished smelling the roses and scarfing down chocolates, take some time to put together an emergency plan with the ones you love. Make sure you know what to do, how to find each other, and how to communicate in an emergency. Show a lot of love with just a few simple steps.

• Learn more about making an emergency plan
• Read the OEM Tip of the Week online

THE COLD CAUSES WORSE THAN COLDS

Cold weather can put you at risk for far worse than the common cold. Hypothermia and frostbite are the most common cold-induced illnesses, and they can be life threatening if left unchecked. When the temperature drops, it's important to keep your body sheltered from the air.

Hypothermia: Symptoms include slurred speech, sluggishness, confusion, dizziness, shallow breathing, unusual behavior, and slow, irregular heartbeat.

Frostbite: Symptoms include gray, white or yellow skin discoloration, numbness, and waxy feeling skin.

• Read more winter weather tips
• Read the OEM Tip of the Week online