Fire Safety

Key fire safety tips

Source: National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 
  • Watch your cooking
    Stay in the kitchen when you are frying, grilling, or broiling food. If you must leave, even for a short time, turn off the stove.
  • Give space heaters space Keep fixed and portable space heaters at least three feet from anything that can burn. Turn off heaters when you leave the room or go to sleep. 
  • Smoke outside       Ask smokers to smoke outside. Have sturdy, deep ashtrays for smokers. 
  • Keep matches and lighters out of reach  Keep matches and lighters up high, our of the reach of children, preferably in a cabinet with a lock. 
  • Inspect electrical cords   Replace cords that are cracked, damaged, have broken plugs, or have loose connections. 
  • Be careful when using candles    Keep candles at least one foot from anything that can burn. Blow out candles when you leave the room or go to sleep. 
  • Have a home fire escape plan Make a home fire escape plan and practice it at least twice a year. 
  • Install smoke alarms     Install smoke alarms on every level of your home, inside bedrooms and outside sleeping areas. Interconnect smoke alarms throughout the home. When one sounds, they all sound. 
  • Test smoke alarms        Test smoke alarms at least once a month and replace batteries one a year or when the alarm "chirps" to tell you the battery is low. Replace any smoke alarm that is more than 10 years old. 
  • Install Sprinklers      If you are building or remodeling your home, install residential fire sprinklers. Sprinklers can contain and may even extinguish a fire in less time than it would take the fire department to arrive. 

About the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)

NFPA is a worldwide leader in fire, electrical, building, and life safety. The mission of the international nonprofit organization founded in 1896 is to reduce the worldwide burden of fire and other hazards on the quality of life by providing and advocating consensus codes and standards, research, training, and education. NFPA develops more than 300 codes and standards to minimize the possibility and effects of fire and other hazards. All NFPA codes and standards can be viewed at no cost at www.nfpa.org/freeaccess.