Fire Prevention

"An Ounce of Prevention is worth a Pound of Cure." 

- Benjamin Franklin

Smoke Alarms SAVE LIVES. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), the risk of dying in reported home structure fires is 55% lower in homes with working smoke alarms compared to homes with no alarms or inoperative alarms. It is widely recommended to have a smoke alarm in each bedroom, outside of sleeping areas, and to have at least one alarm on each floor in a common area.

As stated in this video, roughly 80 percent of kids ages 2-14 will sleep through a smoke alarm. Make sure to make a nighttime fire-escape plan if you have children in this age group. There are different types of smoke alarms available, which may be better suited for your family needs. For instance, there are smoke alarms that can record your voice when there is a fire, which children tend to respond better to. There are also also low-frequency alarms and alarms with added lights.

With modern day construction of our homes and modern belongings, the time to get out of our homes has significantly decreased. For most fires, residents risk only having two minutes to get out of their home safely after the fire alarms sound! Make sure everyone in your family comes together and make a safety plan where each room has at least two ways out. That way, if one of your exits is blocked, you can still get out. It is also crucial to come up with one meeting place so you know who is all out and if responders need to rescue anyone. Meeting places can be in your front yard, at a street sign, a neighbor’s house, or any obvious location.

Every Second Counts in a Home Fire—Practice Your Escape Plan

Video URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vc-AkbpdSYk

Downloadable Safety Sheets (Note: you will be redirected to the NFPA website to download):

Escape Planning for Homes
Escape Planning for Apartments and Condominiums

In a public setting, you may not know where all of your exits are. For example, if you are at a convenience store in the back and a fire occurred by the cash registers, your closest exit may not be the front entrance. In public buildings, such as stores, churches, restaurants, and libraries, all will have EXIT signs to guide you out quickly and safely. Start looking for these signs when you are out shopping or spending time with friends and family.  

Did you know most fire deaths occur between 11PM and 7AM when people are sleeping? It’s TRUE! Sleeping with your bedroom door shut can slow down the growth/spread of fire and smoke from entering your room. With your door shut, you are preserving oxygen from getting to the fire, and saving clean air for you to breathe if you get trapped. If you are trapped in a room due to a fire being on the other side, go to the window to get out. If you are on a second level or believe you cannot get out safely through a window, keep your door shut, turn on your light and wait for the Fire Department to arrive. The only time you should attempt to self-rescue out of your room from the second floor or above, is if the smoke and heat are starting to overcome your door and crowd into your room.  Fire Fighters will find you when they are taking their initial inspection of the fire.  Keeping doors shut to any room you are not using is also a safe practice incase a fire starts. 

See the Dramatic Difference a Door Can Make

Video URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSP03BE74WA

Note: You will be redirected to the NFPA website to download.

Kitchen/Cooking:

• Cooking Safety
• Electric Cooking Applicances

Heating:

• Heating Safety
• Clothes Dryer
• Space Heater 

Electrical:

• Electrical Safety
• Lithium Ion Battery
• Electric Vehicle Charging

Family:

• Residential Sprinklers
• Children & Fire
• Pet Safety
• Hoarding

Outdoors/Garage:

• Oily Rags 
• Campfire Ordinance
• Grill Ordinance

Is it okay to have a campfire? 
Check the DNR site here