How can I prevent fires and make my home safer?

Here are some tips to help keep your home safe:

  • Have a working smoke alarm on every floor. Place near bedrooms and away from steam from bathrooms (hopefully in every bedroom)
  • Test your smoke alarm every month by pushing the test button
  • Change the battery in your smoke alarm at the same time you adjust your clocks for daylight savings time
  • Replace your smoke alarm every 10 years
  • Have a working Carbon Monoxide alarm
  • Don't overload electrical outlets by using extension cords or multi-adapters
  • Don't leave flames unattended, such as:
    • Camp fires
    • Candles
    • Grills
    • Microwaves
    • Ovens
    • Stoves
  • Don't cook when you are tired or impaired
  • Keep combustibles at least 3 feet away from heat sources such as:
    • Fireplaces
    • Furnaces
    • Hot water tanks
    • Space heaters
  • Practice fire drills at home and know 2 ways out of every room, stay low under smoke, have a safe meeting place, and never go back in a burning building
  • Teach children to call 911 in an emergency and to know their address
  • Teach children about cooking safety
  • Set your hot water tank at 120 degrees to help prevent burns in children and elderly
  • Never let children swim unattended
  • Remove trip hazards from floors for the elderly
  • Don't block exits with clutter or trip hazards
  • Keep cleaning fluids, matches, lighters, and pills, away from children
  • Store gasoline, outside of the home, in approved containers
  • Never use gasoline inside a home
  • Take a first aid and CPR class
  • Visit the Home Safety Council website for more home safety tips.

Show All Answers

1. What types of services do you provide?
2. How can I prevent fires and make my home safer?
3. Am I allowed to have a campfire in my backyard?
4. How many responses do you make in a year?
5. Why do we conduct a pre-fire survey of local businesses?