Public Safety Advisory from the Stronach Township Fire Department, October 2026.
Winter is close. This year it arrives with fuel markets unsettled by the war in the Middle East and with the sign-up for Manistee County’s CodeRED emergency alerts out of service. Neither is cause for alarm. Both are reasons to do the same preparation that gets a household through any ice storm, and to do it now, before the cold arrives.
If paying for heat will be hard, ask now
Don’t wait for an empty tank or a shutoff notice. For income-eligible households, Michigan’s State Emergency Relief program can help with propane or fuel oil once the tank is estimated at 25 percent or less, and with past-due heating and electric bills. The State makes one heat payment and one electric payment per household each fiscal year, and the new year began October 1. You can apply online through MI Bridges (michigan.gov/mibridges) or at your county Michigan Department of Health and Human Services office.
Calling 2-1-1 is the quickest way to learn what you qualify for. That includes the Michigan Energy Assistance Program, which Michigan 2-1-1 says has been expanded and no longer requires a past-due bill. Here at home, FiveCAP is Manistee County’s community action agency. Its Manistee office is at 265 First Street, (231) 723-8327.
Line up your heating fuel
This winter’s forecast is mixed. In its October 7 outlook, the U.S. Energy Information Administration said it expects homes that heat with fuel oil to spend about 21 percent more than last winter and homes with electric heat about 4 percent more, while propane and natural gas bills are forecast to run lower. A September projection from the National Energy Assistance Directors Association had every fuel costing more, propane included.
Fill propane or fuel oil tanks this fall either way. A forecast is not a delivery. When a January cold snap hits, every dealer’s delivery schedule is stretched at the same time, and a tank filled in October is one you don’t have to worry about then. Ask your supplier about automatic delivery or a budget plan.
Heat safely, because this is where winter fires start
Space heaters belong at least three feet from anything that can burn. Plug them directly into a wall outlet, never into an extension cord or power strip, and turn them off when you leave the room or go to bed.
Never heat your home with an oven, stove, grill or camp heater. They are not built for it, and they can fill a closed house with carbon monoxide, a gas you cannot see or smell.
Generators run outdoors only, at least 20 feet from the house with the exhaust pointed away. Never run one in a garage, even with the door open.
Test your smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. The clocks change Sunday, November 1, which makes it an easy day to remember. If a carbon monoxide alarm sounds, get everyone outside first, then call 911.
Plan for a long outage
On a private well, no power means no water, because the pump runs on electricity. Store at least one gallon per person per day, and fill extra containers before a storm.
Keep a week of food that needs no cooking, along with a manual can opener, flashlights, spare batteries, and a battery or hand-crank radio.
Refill prescriptions as early as your insurance allows. If you rely on oxygen or other powered medical equipment, have a backup plan that doesn’t depend on the grid, and decide now where you would go if an outage outlasts your batteries.
Keep some cash at home and your vehicle’s tank at least half full. Card readers and gas pumps need power too.
Stay informed and look out for each other
Stronach Township has no warning siren, and the sign-up link for Manistee County’s CodeRED alerts is not working right now. Until the county posts a new one, turn on emergency alerts in your phone’s settings and keep a NOAA Weather Radio programmed for Manistee County with the code 026101. Step-by-step instructions are on our Alerts & Notices page.
For outage questions, call Central Dispatch’s non-emergency line, 231-723-6241, so 911 stays open for emergencies.
Check on older neighbors and anyone who lives alone, before a storm and again after it passes. And before you share news in a crisis, confirm it came from an official source.
Preparation isn’t fear. It’s what turns an emergency back into an inconvenience.
Questions? Call the Stronach Township Fire Department at 231-454-2184. Share freely.
To post this on the refrigerator or hand it to a neighbor, download the one-page printable version (PDF).
Sources
- Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, State Emergency Relief Manual, ERM 301, Energy Services, effective October 1, 2026
- Michigan 2-1-1, Utility Assistance Programs
- FiveCAP, Inc., serving Mason, Manistee, Lake and Newaygo counties
- U.S. Energy Information Administration, winter 2026-27 heating outlook, October 7, 2026
- National Energy Assistance Directors Association, winter heating cost projection, September 14, 2026
- U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Carbon Monoxide Information Center
- U.S. Fire Administration, heating fire safety
- Ready.gov, Water
- Manistee County, 911 frequently asked questions (non-emergency number)
- National Weather Service, NOAA Weather Radio