Smoke detectors

• Install on every level, especially near sleeping areas.
• Test monthly to ensure they work properly.
• Choose alarms listed by a qualified testing laboratory.
• Install at least 10 feet away from cooking appliances to avoid false alarms.
• Use photoelectric alarms near kitchens and bathrooms to reduce nuisance alarms.
• For people who are deaf or hard of hearing, install alarms with strobe lights and bed shakers. Activated by the sound of the smoke alarm, these alarms use flashing lights to alert people when they are awake and bed shakers to wake them when they are asleep.
• Replace smoke alarms with non-replaceable batteries every 10 years or when you hear the smoke detector beeping.
• Replace the battery annually in alarms with replaceable batteries or if you hear the smoke detector beeping.
• All rental homes must have working smoke alarms. Check with your landlord or property manager to ensure they are installed.

Carbon monoxide alarms

• Install to detect this colorless, odorless gas.
• Protects against toxic gas exposure.
• High levels of carbon monoxide can be deadly.

Fire extinguishers

• Choose an all-purpose (ABC) extinguisher for most household fires.
• Regularly check the pressure gauge and replace outdated or used extinguishers.

Fire blankets

• Made of fire-resistant material to smother small flames or wrap around a person with burning clothes.
• Keep one in the kitchen or near a fireplace for quick access.

It is important to have a fire escape plan, especially when you have children in your home. Children sometimes need help getting out of the house. They may not know how to escape or what to do unless an adult shows them.

Create the plan

• Draw a map of your home showing all doors and windows. Note all exits for each room.
• Ensure all doors and windows that lead outside open easily.
• If a room has a window air conditioner, make sure there’s a second exit.
• If windows have security bars, make sure they have easy-to-use quick-release devices.
• Pick an outside meeting spot, like a tree or mailbox, a safe distance from the house.
• Children, older adults and people with disabilities may need help getting out.
  Teach kids how to escape on their own: open windows, remove screens and unlock doors.
• Make sure everyone knows how to call 911 from a cell phone or neighbor’s phone.
• Ensure your house number is visible from the street, day and night.

Practice the plan

• Practice the plan with everyone in your household, including visitors.
• Push the smoke alarm button to start the drill.
• Practice escaping through different exits.
• Get low and go if there’s smoke.
• Close doors behind you as you leave.
• Go to the meeting spot and stay there.
• Practice at least twice a year, both day and night.
• After each drill, discuss what went well and what needs improvement.

If there is a fire

• When the smoke alarm sounds, get out and stay out. Go to the meeting spot and call 911.
• If smoke blocks your exit, use your second way out.
• If there’s smoke, get low and crawl under it to escape.
• Feel the doorknob and door before opening it. If it’s hot, use your second exit.
• If smoke is coming around the door, leave it closed and use your second exit.
• Open doors slowly. If smoke or fire is inside, shut the door quickly.
• If you can’t get out, close the door, seal cracks with cloth and call 911. Signal for help from the window.
• If you can’t reach someone inside, leave the building and tell emergency services where they are.
• Tell firefighters if pets are trapped inside. Never re-enter a burning building.

• Keep children at least three feet away from hot items like space heaters and stovetops.
• Store cigarettes, lighters and matches in a locked, high place.
• Never play with lighters or matches in front of your children, as they may copy you.

Refer to Safe Kids Burn and Scald Prevention Tips for more tips.

Carbon monoxide (CO) is an invisible, odorless and tasteless gas that can be deadly. It’s created when fuels like gas, coal or wood don’t burn completely. CO poisoning can come from car engines, heating appliances or generators.

Installing alarms

• Choose a CO alarm that’s listed by a qualified lab.
• Install alarms outside bedrooms, on every floor and follow manufacturer instructions.
• For best protection, connect alarms so they all go off when one sounds.
  CO alarms are not the same as smoke alarms. Learn the difference in their sounds.

Testing and replacing alarms

• Test CO alarms monthly and replace them if they don’t work.
• Replace CO alarms as directed or when the end-of-life signal sounds.
• Know the difference between the alarm sound and low-battery signal.
• If the CO alarm sounds, leave the house and call 911.

Inside the home

• Get gas appliances and chimneys checked regularly.
• Always open the fireplace damper before using, and leave it open until the fire is out.
• Never use the oven or stovetop to heat your home.
• Keep vents for fuel-burning appliances clear and unblocked.
• Use battery-powered lights in small spaces like tents.

Motor vehicles

• Never leave a car running in the garage, even with the door open.
• Make sure the exhaust pipe isn’t blocked by snow or debris.
• If your car has an automatic starter, ensure it’s off when the car is in the garage.

Appliances

• Keep vents for dryers, furnaces and stoves clear of debris.
• Always use barbecue grills outside, at least three feet away from buildings.
• Never use grills inside or in the garage, even with doors open.

Portable generators

• Use generators outdoors, at least 20 feet from doors, windows and vents.
• Never use a generator in a garage, even with the door open.
• Make sure you have battery-operated CO alarms in the home.
• Don’t sit or stand near the exhaust of a generator, as it’s toxic.