Community prepares for another winter storm

With more snowfall predicted Tuesday evening into Wednesday, KCP&L is putting additional crews on standby and offering safety tips for customers.

In terms of crew preparations, extra personnel are added to shifts, which run 24 hours per day.

The combination of round-the-clock availability and additional staffing minimize restoration times. Tree trimmers are also being deployed to proactively address tree limbs that could become problematic. "Whenever there's a situation with nasty weather, safety has to remain the top priority," said Bill Herdegen, vice president T&D operations for KCP&L. "While we are readying our teams, customers can brush up on their knowledge of basic safety reminders, making us all better prepared to respond to potential outages." Winter Weather Safety Tips ? Prepare a winter storm kit by gathering extra supplies for your home and your car, including:

* First Aid kit and essential medications

* Battery-powered radio, flashlight and extra batteries

* Canned food and can opener o Bottled water (at least 1 gallon per person per day)

* Warm clothing, blanket, coat, gloves, hat and water-resistant boots for each family member

Stay indoors during the storm, if possible. If you must move to an alternate location, dress warmly with several layers of clothing, wear gloves and a hat to avoid exposing your skin to dangerous wind chill.

Walk carefully on snowy and icy surfaces. Avoid traveling by car and risking being stranded, but if you must, carry a "disaster kit" in the trunk.

Keep the car's gas tank full for emergency use and to keep the fuel line from freezing.

Always let someone know your destination, route of travel and expected time of arrival.

Carry a cell phone if you have one.

Listen to weather radio or local radio and TV stations for updated storm information.

If you have Internet access, you also can check KCP&L Power Watch maps at www.kcpl.com.

For family members on a life support system, plan for arrangements to get them to a location where their needs can be met. In addition, contact KCP&L at (888) 471-5275 to make sure we've noted that a life support system exists at that service location.

In the event of a power outage, call (888) 544-4852 to report the outage. And, keep the following in mind:

* Do not open your refrigerator or freezer more than necessary. Undisturbed food will remain frozen in most freezers for up to 48 hours.

* Do not use charcoal grills to heat your home or to cook indoors. Dangerous carbon monoxide fumes can build up and cause serious injury or death.

* If using a portable generator, follow the manufacturer's safety and operating guidelines. Be sure to operate the generator in a well-ventilated area.

Never operate it indoors or in your garage. Dangerous carbon monoxide fumes can build up and cause serious injury or death. Never connect to your home's main electrical panel or plug it directly into a household outlet.