EL PASO COUNTY — Emergency managers are treating the extreme cold moving into the Pikes Peak Region as a public safety threat.
“This is a severe weather event, that’s likely to be a dangerous situation for anyone who will be outside or going outside,” said Pike Peak Regional Office of Emergency Management, Director, Jim Reid.
Sub-zero temperatures with much low wind chills are expected for more than 24 hours.
First responders and aid agencies from the pikes peak region gave a briefing in advance to the freeze to emphasize the need for caution.
Captain Mike Smaldino with the Colorado Springs Fire Department raised concerns about people using questionable and dangerous heating sources.
“Alternate heating sources, we see a lot of people that you know all of a sudden, they have a propane heater that's in their house, or in their garage, and that's creating that carbon monoxide.”
Colorado Springs Police Department will be on accident alert from 9:00 pm Wednesday night until Saturday morning.
Accident alert sometimes referred to as cold reporting is when you self-report an accident if no one’s hurt and there is no alcohol or drugs involved.
It usually happens when roads are slick and there are so many accidents officers are unable to respond quickly.
This time it is about safety in the extreme cold.
“We do not want to have officers standing outside and we don't want you to be standing outside to put yourself at risk because you just want to get an accident report,” said Robert Tornabene with Colorado Springs Police Department.
The cold avoidance measures by emergency crews are an example for everyone to follow.
Stay inside if you can.
Reid said, “We want to make sure that our folks are safe. It's gonna be a tough two days but the biggest thing is we don't want to lose anybody.”
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