The recent snowfall has prompted reminders on snow safety from the Okotoks Fire Department.

The snow has created a challenge for motorists and increased commute times.

Ken Thevenot, Okotoks Fire Chief, says a great acronym to follow when driving is S.A.F.E.R.

"Give yourself some space between vehicles, have a good positive attitude with lots of patience," he explains. "Foresight, have good situational awareness of what's going on around you, have good eyesight with visual scanning of everything and check your mirrors. The last one is responsibility, take your own responsibility to make sure you're prepared."

Motorists should also allow themselves plenty of extra time to get to their destinations.

Thevenot says despite cooler temperatures and snow, residents still need to keep off storm ponds.

"The ice isn't going to be that good. We did have a cold snap earlier in the fall where it made some ice but with the warm temperatures we saw at 15-16 degrees, and now all of a sudden we get a bit of frost then this large accumulation of snow, it's like an insulator on the ice. The ice won't be that great right now so again please stay off the storm ponds."

When it comes to safety inside the home in this weather, residents should check their fire and carbon monoxide detectors if they're using fire places and wood stoves that have been dormant all season.

This past week the Okotoks Fire Department responded to 23 calls.

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