Albany officials urge fire safety during winter storm preps

City and state officials are preparing to treat the roads and also preparing emergency services for the storm.

The NYSDOT has more than 400 drivers ready to go for the storm on about 180 plows.

“Monday is a holiday, so there should be fewer drivers on the road. With that said, if you do need to drive Monday, use extreme caution,” said NYSDOT Spokesman Bryan Viggiani.

Several Albany officials gave a press conference Sunday afternoon outlining their efforts ahead of the storm. They also asked neighbors to be as prepared as possible with flashlights, blankets and charged phones in case power goes out.

Mayor Kathy Sheehan stressed the importance of fire safety, with other officials mentioning the deadly fire that killed 17 people in the Bronx last weekend, caused by a space heater. Sheehan reminded people that using space heaters can be dangerous.

“I want to use this as an opportunity to remind our residents and really people across the Capital Region, space heaters are not designed to run 24/7, so be mindful of using space heaters, make sure there is nothing flammable in and around the space heaters,” she said.

Officials also reminded people to check on their neighbors especially if they’re older adults, and make sure they have heat and are safely weathering the storm.

Officials are also preparing for the cold that’s predicted to come in the wake of the storm.

“Tomorrow is a holiday so we expect traffic to be a lot lighter, so that’s good, but on Tuesday, when everybody goes back to work, expect some what we call black ice, so be careful, take your time, plan ahead,” said Commissioner Sergio Panunzio of the Department of General Services.