Home Safety Tips

Prevent Fires Caused by Cooking:

• Always stay in the kitchen while cooking.
• Know how to put out a small pan fire by sliding a lid over the flames.
• Keep things that can burn, such as dishtowels, paper or plastic bags, and curtains at least three feet away from the range top.
• Before cooking, roll up sleeves and use oven mitts. Loose-fitting clothes can touch a hot burner and catch on fire.
• Never leave barbecue grills unattended while in use. Keep grills at least three feet away from other objects, including the house and any shrubs or bushes.

Prevent Fires Caused by Heating:

• Store matches and lighters in a locked cabinet.
• Keep space heaters at least three feet away from things that can burn, such as curtains or stacks of newspaper. Always turn off heaters when leaving the room or going to bed.
• Have a service person inspect chimneys, fireplaces, wood and coal stoves and central furnaces once a year. Have them cleaned when necessary.
• Keep things that can burn away from your fireplace and keep a glass or metal screen in front of your fireplace.

Prevent Fires Caused by Smoking:

• Use “fire-safe” cigarettes and smoke outside.
• Use large, deep ashtrays on sturdy surfaces like a table.
• Douse cigarette and cigar butts with water before dumping them in the trash.

Prevent Fires Caused by Candles:

• Never leave burning candles unattended. Do not allow children to keep candles or incense in their rooms. Always use stable, candle holders made of material that won’t catch fire, such as metal, glass, etc.
• Blow out candles when adults leave the room.

Prevent Fires Caused by Gasoline and Other Products:

• Store gasoline in a garage or shed in a container approved for gasoline storage.
• Never bring or use gasoline indoors; and use it as a motor fuel only.
• Close the lid on all dangerous products and put them away after using them.
• Store them away from the home and in a safe place with a lock.
• Don’t plug in too many appliances at once.

Keep Your Family Safe At Home:

• Install smoke alarms on every level of your home.
  • For the best detection and notification protection, install both ionization- and photoelectric-type smoke alarms. Some models provide dual coverage. The type will be printed on the box or package.
  • Put them inside or near every bedroom.
  • Test them monthly to make sure they work.
  • Replace the batteries twice a year. One good habit to help you remember to change your batteries is to change them each time the daylight savings time change takes place.

  Plan and practice a fire escape route with your family or roommates.

  Fire can be catastrophic, PLAN AHEAD and SURVIVE!

  

  Escape Plan

  • Gather everyone together at a convenient time.
  • Sketch a floor plan of all rooms, including doors, windows and hallways. include all floors of the home.
  • Plan and draw the escape plan with arrows showing two ways, if possible, to get out of each room. Sleeping areas are most important, since many fires happen at night.
  • Plan to use stairs only, never an elevator.
  • Plan where everyone will meet after leaving the building.
  • Plan to leave the burning building first and then call from a phone nearby, if possible.

  Remember and use the following guidelines to escape from fire:

  • If smoke is present, crawl low to escape. Because smoke rises in a fire, breathable air is often close to the floor.
  • Make sure children can open windows, go down a ladder and lower themselves to the ground.
  • Practice with them. Always lower children to the ground first before you go out a window.
  • Get out quickly and do not, under any circumstances, return to a burning building.
  • If you cannot escape, stay in the room and stuff door cracks and vents with wet towels, rags or clothing.
  • If a phone is available, call the fire department—even if rescuers are already outside—and tell the call taker your location. Yell out loudly to rescuers to help them find you if you cannot escape the building.

  Additional Tips

  • Teach every family member to “Stop, Drop and Roll” if clothes catch fire.
  • Consider having a home fire sprinkler system installed in your new home, or when you remodel.
  • Learn how and when to use a fire extinguisher.
  • If you have a fire in your home, once you get out, stay out. Do not go back inside for any reason.