November is winter weather preparedness month in Illinois. 

While the official start of winter is not until Dec. 21St, it’s time to start preparing now. 

The Illinois Emergency Management Agency, Illinois Department of Labor, Office of the State Fire Marshal, Illinois Department of Transportation and National Weather Service encouraging people to begin preparing now for extreme cold, snow and ice. 

When checking your vehicle’s emergency supply kid, make sure it contains blankets or sleeping bags, flashlight with extra batteries, a first aid kid, non-perishable snack food, water, sand or cat litter, a shovel, booster cables and a cell phone charger. 

In the home, be sure your heating systems are functioning properly. In 2017, nearly 400 people died of unintentional non-fire carbon monoxide poisoning in the U.S. Fire departments responded to nearly 80,000 carbon monoxide incidents, which is an average of nine calls per hour. 

You can make your home safe of carbon monoxide by clearing vents for the dryer, furnace, stove and fireplace of snow-buildup. To prevent fires, make sure flammable objects are at least three feet from all heat sources. You should never use an oven to heat your home. Also remember to turn space heaters off when leaving the room or going to bed. 

Above all else, check your carbon monoxide and fire alarms for fresh batteries. 

Learn more at ready.illinois.gov.