Cold Weather Alert

The National Weather Service is forecasting severe cold temperatures with lows below zero this weekend. Frozen pipe bursts from low temperatures are a critical threat to municipal and school property, especially when buildings are unoccupied overnight. CIRMA urges all of its members to prepare their buildings, vehicles, personnel, and emergency response equipment for these below freezing temperatures.
Please follow the precautions listed below to help protect your buildings and staff from the severe cold:

• Keep thermostats above 65 degrees when the facility is to be unoccupied for a weekend or longer.
• Even when the building is unoccupied, building and room thermostats should never be set lower than 55 degrees.
• Closed-in areas of your buildings that have poor air circulation are likely to be much colder than in the room itself, causing pipes located there to freeze. Leave ceiling panels, room and cabinet doors open wherever possible to encourage the circulation of warm air into cold-spots, especially in locations near water pipes.
• Consider holding "Freeze Watches," in which designated staff are available to monitor building temperatures and conditions during severely cold weather. Have a snow and ice removal plan for roadways, sidewalks, and roofs.

Downed Power Lines/Power Failures
Below freezing temperatures combined with power outages may lead to major damage caused by frozen water pipes; a power outage during a freeze is considered a critical threat to property. Download guidelines for use of Generators and Portable Generators. Remember: All downed power lines should be assumed to be live and the local utility company should be immediately notified of their location. Download Preventing Frozen Pipes, Preparing for Winter Storms for information on these topics and information on what to do if your building pipes freeze.
Visit CIRMA's Winter Weather Precautions page for more information about preparing for cold weather emergencies. For assistance in implementing these recommendations, please contact your CIRMA Risk Management Consultant.

Protect and Prepare Your Staff Too!

• The number of slip and fall accidents spikes during January's cold weather.  Visit our "Preventing Slip and Fall Awareness" page for information and handouts on preventing these common and costly cold weather-related  accidents.
• Provide your staff with a list of emergency telephone numbers, including snow removal contacts, heating system repair, utility company, the weather bureau, and the risk manager. Have cold-weather gear on hand such as hats, gloves, emergency blankets, flashlights and batteries.

Contact CIRMA
To report a property loss, please use any of the following phone or fax numbers or email addresses below:

CIRMA Switchboard: 203-946-3700          
Claims Fax: 203-773-8134
EMail: lapnewclaims@ccm-ct.org
Cynthia Mancini, Liability-Auto-Property Claims Manager
Business: 203-498-3019  
Cell: 203-804-5917   
Fax: 203-497-2472
Brenda Gillis, Sr. Property Claim Representative
Business: 203-946-3751          
Emergency: 203-710-4479        
Fax: 203-497-2424

All Workers' Compensation claims should be reported online at NetClaims.net.