Fire Prevention check list
. Are flammable items, such as fertilizers and turpentine, kept in their original containers in a locked storage area separate from the home?
2. Is gasoline stored in a garage or shed in a container approved for gasoline storage?
3. Do you keep things that can burn away from your fireplace and keep a glass or metal screen in front of your fireplace?
4. Do you have chimneys, fireplaces, wood and coal stoves, central furnaces and space heaters inspected by professionals once a year and cleaned regularly?
5. Do you keep space heaters at least three feet away from combustibles, such as curtains or stacks of newspaper, and always turn off heaters when leaving the room or going to bed?
6. Do you keep matches and lighters in a locked cabinet?
7. Do you always stay in the kitchen when food is cooking on the stove?
8. Do you keep things that can burn, such as dish towels, paper or plastic bags, and curtains at least three feet away from the range top?
9. Do you douse cigarette and cigar butts with water before dumping them in the trash?
10. Are you careful not to leave barbecue grills unattended while in use?
11. Do you keep grills away from play areas and at least three feet away from other objects, including the house and any shrubs or bushes?
12. Are you careful not to leave burning candles unattended?
13. Do you keep candles out of the reach of children and pets?
14. Are you careful not to overload electrical outlets, extension cords and power strips?
15. Do you check all wires and cords for damage and cover all unused electrical outlets?
Smoke Alarms
1. Have you installed smoke alarms on every level of your home and near every sleeping area?
2. Have you pushed the “test button” on smoke alarms to ensure everyone will recognize the sound of the alarm?
3. Are smoke alarms mounted high on walls or ceilings away from windows, doors and ducts where drafts might interfere with their operation?
4. Are smoke alarms located well away from the path of steam from bathrooms and cooking vapors from the kitchen, which can result in false or nuisance alarms?
5. Do you test your smoke alarms once a month to make sure they are working, and replace the batteries every year?
6. Have you considered installing hard-wired, interconnected smoke alarms with battery back-up so that if one alarm operates, they all signal together?
7. Do you replace your smoke alarms when they are 10 years or older?
Fire Escape Plans
1. Have you identified two exits out of every room?
2. Does your family have a designated meeting place outside of your home?
3. Does your family practice a home fire escape plan twice a year?
4. Have you sketched out a floor plan of your home, including all rooms, windows, interior and exterior doors, stairways, fire escapes and smoke alarms? Is every family member familiar with the layout?
5. Have you identified and remedied anything in your home that could interfere with your ability to get out quickly in an emergency including windows that are stuck, heavy furniture blocking an exit and broken and dangerous locks?
6. Are you careful to always keep escape routes clear of clutter?
7. If you have a multi-story home, have you considered purchasing fire escape ladders for upstairs bedrooms? If you have fire escape ladders, have you opened them safely from a ground-floor window for practice?
8. Have you ensured that family members with special needs, such as ill or frail family members or small children, have a buddy to help them get out safely?
9. Do family members know to get out first if there is a fire, and then call for help once safely outside?
10. Do you hold family fire drills frequently and at various times so your escape plans become second nature?
11. During your fire drill, have you practiced what it would be like to escape through smoke by getting down on hands and knees and crawling below the smoke to the nearest exit? Has your family practiced feeling doors before opening them to escape, by testing for warmth with the back of the hand?
If you’ve answered “NO” to any of these questions, it’s time to rethink your fire-safety plan.