Safety Resources - Home/Residential Fire & Safety

Safety begins at home, with you, your knowledge and awareness to protect yourself and others.  Safety practices at work can be used at home and safety practices in the home can be used at work or school.  Common causes of unintentional home injuries and deaths are, fire and burns, drowning, suffocation, choking, firearms, poisoning and falls. 

• Are you prepared to handle any of the above emergencies? 

• Are you trained in First Aid or CPR? 

• Do you know where and how to use a fire extinguisher?  What type of fire extinguisher for each type of fire? 

My recommendation in the event of an emergency is to call 911 first to get help on the way.  If you attempt to combat/handle the emergency alone and something happens to you, help is on the way.  Know the resources of your neighbors, do you have a nurse, doctor, police officer, fire fighter or other emergency personnel living near you.  Get aquatinted with them and discuss emergency planning.

Don’t Wait Until An Injury or Death Occurs before you Take Action !
 

Protecting yourself, your family & home from....

 

Earthquakes

Wildfires

Flooding

Wind Damage

Chimney Fire Hazards

Hazardous Material Accidents

Terrorism

House & Building Fires

 

Home Hazards...

 

Safety Checklist

Mold Hazards

Radon Facts

Lead Facts

Household Hazardous Materials

Winter  Hazards

Carbon Monoxide

Food Safety

Fire Facts

Poison Prevention

Clothes Dryer Fires

Pesticides

Other Home Safety Topics ...

 

Home Medical Care

Fireworks Safety

Safe Drinking Water

Safe Private Well Water

Indoor Air Quality

Waste Control & Reduction

Window Safety Checklist

Winterizing Your Lawn Equipment

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More than 4,000 Americans die each year in fires, and more than 25,000 are injured. Deaths resulting from failed emergency escapes are particularly avoidable.

A sound escape plan will greatly reduce fire deaths and protect you and your family's safety if a fire occurs.

HAVE A SOUND FIRE ESCAPE PLAN

In the event of a fire, remember - time is the biggest enemy and every second counts! Escape plans help you get out of your home quickly. In less than 30 seconds a small flame can get completely out of control and turn into a major fire. It only takes minutes for a house to fill with thick black smoke and become engulfed in flames.

SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS

Practice Escaping From Every Room In The Home

Practice escape plans every month. The best plans have two ways to get out of each room. If the primary way is blocked by fire or smoke, you will need a second way out. A secondary route might be a window onto an adjacent roof or using an Underwriter's Laboratory (UL) approved collapsible ladder for escape from upper story windows. Make sure that windows are not stuck, screens can be taken out quickly and that security bars can be properly opened. Also, practice feeling your way out of the house in the dark or with your eyes closed.

Security Bars Require Special Precautions

Security bars may help to keep your family safe from intruders, but they can also trap you in a deadly fire! Windows and doors with security bars must have quick release devices to allow them to be opened immediately in an emergency. Make sure everyone in the family understands and practices how to properly operate and open locked or barred doors and windows.

Immediately Leave The Home

When a fire occurs, do not waste any time saving property. Take the safest exit route, but if you must escape through smoke, remember to crawl low, under the smoke and keep your mouth covered. The smoke contains toxic gases which can disorient you or, at worst, overcome you.

Never Open Doors That Are Hot To The Touch

When you come to a closed door, use the back of your hand to feel the top of the door, the doorknob, and the crack between the door and door frame to make sure that fire is not on the other side. If it feels hot, use your secondary escape route. Even if the door feels cool, open it carefully. Brace your shoulder against the door and open it slowly. If heat and smoke come in, slam the door and make sure it is securely closed, then use your alternate escape route.

Designate A Meeting Place Outside and Take Attendance

Designate a meeting location away from the home, but not necessarily across the street. For example, meet under a specific tree or at the end of the driveway or front sidewalk to make sure everyone has gotten out safely and no one will be hurt looking for someone who is already safe. Designate one person to go to a neighbor's home to phone the fire department.

Once Out, Stay Out

Remember to escape first, then notify the fire department using the 911 system or proper local emergency number in your area. Never go back into a burning building for any reason. Teach children not to hide from firefighters. If someone is missing, tell the firefighters. They are equipped to perform rescues safely.

Finally, having working smoke alarms installed on every level of your home dramatically increases your chances of survival. Smoke alarm batteries need to be tested every month and changed with new ones at least once a year. Also, consider replacing the entire smoke alarm every ten years, or as the manufacturer guidelines recommend.

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Security Bar Safety

Security bars may help keep your family safe from intruders, but they can also trap you in a deadly fire!  Use the following tips to help reduce the number of fire injuries and deaths associated with security bars on windows and doors preventing fire escape.

Use Quick Release Devices On Barred Windows and Doors

Windows and doors with security bars should have quick release devices to allow them to be opened immediately in an emergency. These devices operate from inside and allow the bars to be opened for emergency escape without compromising the security of your home. The quick release devices should be easy to open without the use of a key, detailed knowledge or great physical effort. Release devices vary by region and manufacturer. Contact your local fire department on a non-emergency number for information on approved release devices available in your area.

Consider Retrofitting Current Security Bars

Security bars on windows and locked doors prevent escape from fire and also impede firefighters' rescue attempts. If the security bars in your home are permanently fixed or do not have quick release devices, they should be retrofitted with release devices.

Be Aware Of Security Bar Issues When Practicing Fire Escape Routes

Know and practice fire escape plans monthly, and use them to identify and correct obstructions of windows and doors needed for escape from a deadly fire. Make sure that windows are not stuck, screens can be taken out quickly and that security bars can be properly opened.

It is important that everyone in the family understands and practices how to properly operate locked or barred windows and doors. Windows should open easily and be wide enough to allow escape, and locked or barred doors should operate quickly and easily.

Plan Two Exits Out Of Each Room

The best escape plans have two ways to get out of each room. If the primary exit is blocked by fire or smoke, you will need a second way out. A secondary route might be a window onto an adjacent roof or an Underwriter's Laboratory (UL) approved collapsible ladder for escape from upper story windows.

Designate A Meeting Place Outside and Take Attendance

Designate a meeting location away from the home, but not necessarily across the street. For example, meet under a specific tree, at the end of the driveway, or on the front sidewalk to make sure everyone has gotten out safely. Designate one person to go to a neighbor's home to phone the fire department.

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Homes with Security Bars | Fire Planning | Bathroom | Kitchen | Living/Familyroom | Bedrooms Basement, Garage, and Storage | Kids rooms

Bathroom

• Keep space heaters, radios, and other electrical products away from bathtubs and sinks.
• Keep medications, cleaning products, and other poisons away from children and pets.
• Make sure that you have ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) outlets installed in the bathroom as well as in the kitchen, laundry room and workshop.
• Water and electricity combined cause shock. Have dry hands; don't stand in water. If an appliance gets wet, have it serviced.

• Store all portable and small appliances and their cords out of the reach of children and always keep them a safe distance away from the sink.  Don't store things over the stove.  People get burned reaching.  Turn pot handles  so children can't pull them down.  Wear tight sleeves when you cook. Loose-fitting garments can catch fire.

• Keep all portable and countertop appliances unplugged when not in use.
• Never use or attempt to repair a damaged appliance; always consult a qualified technician.
• Every home should have working, UL Listed smoke detectors and fully charged UL Listed fire extinguishers strategically placed in the kitchen, garage, and workshop.
• Water and electricity combined cause shock. Have dry hands; don't stand in water. If an appliance gets wet, have it serviced.
• All electrical appliances and utensils should have a testing agency label.

• Use outlet plug covers to prevent children from inserting objects into outlets.
• Never run an electrical cord under a rug or carpet, or drape it over a hot surface such as a radiator or space heater.
• Make sure that all portable lamps and fixtures are equipped with light bulbs of equal or lesser wattage than that recommended by the lamp or fixture manufacturer.
• Unplug all extension cords when not in use and never use an extension cord that is cut or damaged.
• Before you go to bed, look under cushions for burning cigarettes.
• Allow air space around the TV and stereo to prevent overheating. If the TV doesn't work right, it can be a fire danger. Have it checked out.

• Install UL Listed smoke detectors and carbon monoxide (CO) alarms outside every sleeping area and near fuel-burning appliances.
• Keep portable heaters away from people and combustibles.
• Place halogen torchiere lamps in locations where they cannot be tipped over by children, pets, or a strong draft from an open window. Do not allow curtains or other combustible materials to come in contact with torchiere lamps at any time.
• To help prevent your infant from becoming trapped between the crib frame and mattress, choose a firm mattress that fits the crib frame snugly and securely. Also, make sure the mattress support does not easily pull away from the corner posts.
• Use a tape measure or ruler and look for strangulation hazards and areas where an infant can become trapped. There should be no more than 2 3/8 inches between crib slats, corner posts should not extend more than 1/16 of an inch above the end panels (unless the corner posts extend at least 16 inches high for a canopy), and headboards and footboards should not contain cutout areas.
• Allow air space around the TV and stereo to prevent overheating. If the TV doesn't work right, it can be a fire danger. Have it checked out.

• Store paint and other flammable liquids (turpentine, mineral spirits, varnishes, camp stove fuels, etc.) in their original containers with tight fitting lids. Store away from appliances, heaters, pilot lights and other sources of flame or heat.
• Store gasoline outside your home or in a detached garage or shed in a well-ventilated area, and keep it stored in an approved container. Use it only as a motor fuel, never as a cleaning agent.
• Have heating equipment checked yearly. 
• Clean up your workbench. Keep flammables away from sparks.
• If a fuse blows, find the cause. (Replace a fuse with one of the correct size.)
• Sort and remove rubbish. Don't store things near the furnace or heater.
• Keep portable heaters away from people and combustibles.
• Always store propane cylinders outside and secured.