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Home Fire Safety Checklist
PRE-FIRE PLANNING
Have you planned at least two ways to get out of every room in your house?
Do you keep exit routes clear in your home?
Do you know how to notify your fire department quickly and correctly in case of fire?
ESPECIALLY FOR CHILDREN
Do you make it a rule never to leave small children alone or unattended?
Do your baby-sitters (and you) know the first rule of safety in fire emergencies?
---------Get everybody out fast and don't go back in.
Do you show your baby-sitters the escape routes from your home and give instructions on the correct way to report a fire?
SMOKING HABITS
Is smoking in bed strictly against the rule in your home?
Do you always make sure that cigarette, cigar and pipe ashes are completely extinguished before you dispose of them? Before going to bed be SURE there are no cigarettes still burning.
Are matches and lighters kept out of reach of children? Keep matches and lighters above the "strike zone" (to high for children to reach).
HEATING AND COOKING
Are furnaces, stoves and smoke pipes kept in good repair and located far enough away from combustible walls and ceilings so that they do not create a hazard? Use a fireplace screen to prevent sparks from flying. When removing ashes place them in a metal container, which has a lid.
If you have portable space heaters in your home do you see that they are properly maintained and located? Keep portable space heaters away from people, curtains and furniture.
Do you have an annual inspection of your heating system? Have heating equipment checked and cleaned each year
Do your sleeves get into things when you cook? Wear tight-fitting clothing when you cook
Can you stop a cooking fire safely? Smother a pan fire with a lid. Never use water. If cooking oil starts to smoke, turn down the heat. Don't throw whatever's handy on counter, such as dumping flour from the bag on the fire (Explosion)
ELECTRICITY
Do you see that extension cords are never run under rugs or hooked over nails? Avoid using extension cords wherever possible (especially small-wired cords used on high wattage appliances).
When the breaker "trips" or a fuse blows, do you investigate WHY it happened? If a fuse blows (or a breaker "trips"), find the cause. Remove excess appliances (lamps, stereo components, space heaters, etc.) from a circuit breaker that frequently "trips".
Is the right size fuse (20 amps for lighting circuits) in each socket in the fuse box? Replace the fuse with one of the correct size.
Is your TV well ventilated? Allow air apace around the TV to prevent overheating. If it doesn't work right it can be a fire danger.
GOOD HOUSEKEEPING
Do you keep rubbish cleaned out of the attic, basement, closets, garage and yard? Sort and remove rubbish. Don't store things near the furnace or heater.
Are gasoline and other flammable liquids stored in safety cans, and kept well away from both heat and children? Move flammable liquids away from heat. Do not store flammable liquids in the home. Keep them stored outside and away from the house in a separate building.
Don't fill a hot lawn mower or other motor; let it cool first.
IF A FIRE SHOULD OCCUR IN YOUR HOME…….
GET OUT OF THE HOUSE
Familiarize yourself with at least two exits from each room; for example one window and one door. Know where the exits are; practice using them.
HAVE A MEETING PLACE LOCATED OUTSIDE THE HOUSE
A fire is no time to be worrying about who made it out and who did not. By establishing a central meeting place outside the house, you can count heads and not have to wonder who might still be inside.
PHONE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT---(FROM A NEIGHBOR'S HOUSE)
NEVER GO BACK INSIDE FOR ANY REASON
Once you are outside, do not go back inside. The fire department will be there in a matter of minutes. Stay at the meeting place and wait for the fire department.
IN A FIRE, SECONDS COUNT
For early detection of fires, install smoke detectors near your sleeping areas. If you have a multi-story house, install smoke detectors at each level in the home.
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