Home Safety
There are several things you can do to help prevent a fire and protect your loved ones. We want you to be prepared and have a plan! Below are several home safety tips and links to other helpful websites.
Install & Maintain Smoke Alarms.
- Change batteries in your smoke alarms twice a year. We recommend doing this when you change your clocks for Daylight Savings.
- Install at least one smoke alarm in every level of your home.
- Install a smoke alarm outside of every sleeping room and near the kitchen.
- Do not install smoke alarms near windows, doors, ducts, or anywhere a draft may interefere with its operation.
- Perform a monthly check of each smoke alarm to ensure it is functioning properly.
- We advise purchasing a combo of both Smoke Alarm & Carbon Monoxide detector.
Draw an escape plan of your house & practice the plan with your family.
- Have a primary and secondary escape route from every room in the home, including all doors and windows in your plan.
- Designate a safe meeting place outside of the house and include it on your plan.
- Practice your plan at least twice a year using both primary and secondary escape routes.
- Once you are out of the house, stay out. Call 911 as soon as possible.
- When the emergency responders arrive, inform them of anyone left in the home, their name & age, and last known location.
Follow safe practices of fireplace and candle burning in your home.
- Keep candles at least 1-foot away from anything that can catch fire, such as clothing or curtains, as well as any flammable liquids.
- Use candle holders that are sturdy, won't tip over easily, and are large enough to collect candle wax.
- Extinguish candles when leaving the room or going to sleep.
- Have your fireplace/chimney or wood-burning stove cleaned each year by a certified professional.
- Keep the area around your fireplace clean of flammable materials, decorations, and debris.
- Leave the glass doors open when burning a fire and do not restrict the air flow to the fire. Doing so can result in a build up of creosote that can lead to a chimney fire. Also, keep the metal mesh screen closed when burning.
Beware of other fire risks around your home.
- Keep a fire extinguisher, easily accessible, in your house.
- Stack firewood at least 30-feet away from your home.
- Keep your roof and chimney clear of leaves, limbs, or other debris.
- When using a turkey fryer, place it away from your home or other buildings. Do not use it in a garage or on a wooden deck. Keep an all-purpose fire extinguisher nearby. Never use water to put out a grease fire!
- Keep a water hose quickly accessible when burning in firepits or chimineas, using tiki torches, and when cooking on a grill.
- Have a designated meeting place for your family if a wildfire breaks out near your home.
- Contact your local fire department if you are planning a controlled burn on your property.
- Be aware of burn bans or restrictions in your area.
Home Safety Links