SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. — The Seminole County Office of Emergency Management is partnering with long-term care facilities to help test generators before hurricane season.
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The 2024 Atlantic hurricane season starts on June 1.
In addition to checking the safety of your personal generator, it is also important to get a generator technician on the scene immediately after a hurricane.
Read: New to Florida? 9 helpful tips to get you through a hurricane
Here are nine safety tips:
- Never feed power from a portable generator into a wall outlet. This can kill linemen working to restore power or your neighbors served by the same transformer.
- Never run your generator in a garage, carport, crawl space, shed or porch. Place outdoors but under a cover to prevent electrocution if the unit gets wet. Be sure the generator isn’t positioned outside an open window, which can allow fumes into the home.
- Use a carbon monoxide alarm that’s battery-operated or has battery backup.
- Don’t use frayed, torn, or cut power cords. They can cause a fire or shock. Be sure all three prongs are intact and the cord is suitable for outdoor use.
- Store fuel and generator in ventilated areas away from natural-gas water heaters.
- Never have wet hands when operating a generator. Never let water come in contact with the generator.
- Most starters use rope pulls. If it uses a battery, keep it charged.
- Always turn the engine off before refueling and let the generator cool.
- Don’t spill fuel.
Read: 2024 hurricane season fewer than 100 days away; see how to prepare early
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