Safety Tips

Fire Prevention
Visit the national Fire Prevention Week website for tips, videos and other educational resources.

Pet Fire Safety
July 15 is Pet Fire Safety Day. Find out more about keeping your pet safe, view the US Fire Administration Pet Fire Safety Message. 

Summer Fire Safety
US Fire Administration provides Summer Safety Guidelines for outdoor cooking, grilling, camp fire, and other recreational fires

Christmas tree safety tips

Safety tips

• If you have an artificial tree, be sure it is labeled, certified, or identified by the manufacturer as fire retardant.
• Choose a tree with fresh, green needles that do not fall off when touched.

Placing the tree

• Before placing the tree in the stand, cut 1–2” from the base of the trunk.
• Make sure the tree is at least three feet away from any heat source, like fireplaces, radiators, candles, heat vents or lights.
• Make sure the tree is not blocking an exit.
• Add water to the tree stand. Be sure to add water daily.

Lighting the tree

• Use lights that have the label of an independent testing laboratory. Some lights are only for indoor or outdoor use, but not both.
• Replace any string of lights with worn or broken cords or loose bulb connections. Connect no more than three strands of mini string sets and a maximum of 50 bulbs for screw-in bulbs. Read manufacturer’s instructions for number of LED strands to connect.
• Never use lit candles to decorate the tree.
• Always turn off Christmas tree lights before leaving home or going to bed.

After Christmas

• Get rid of the tree when it begins dropping needles. Dried-out trees are a fire danger and should not be left in the home or garage, or placed outside against the home. Check with your local community to find a recycling program. Bring outdoor electrical lights inside after the holidays to prevent hazards and make them last longer.

Candle Fire Safety

With the holidays fast approaching and the increased usage of seasonal decorations, it is important to focus on candle fire safety and prevention. Because the majority of candle fires result from human error and negligence, candle fires and their associated casualties are preventable.

Avoid using lighted candles. Consider using battery-operated flameless candles.
If you must use candles, ensure that they are placed in sturdy holders.
Keep candles at least 12 inches from anything that can burn.
Keep candles away from children and pets.
Never leave burning candles unattended!

source- National Fire Protection Association

Kids in the Kitchen

• Have close supervision for children at all times. No child should be left alone in a kitchen under any circumstances. It only takes a second for something unwanted to happen. 
• Children should not be allowed to use the oven, stove, or any appliance in the kitchen.
• Encouraging the kids to help out at the kitchen table, not on the countertops where there may be easier access to potential dangers such as appliances and cooktops.
• It’s always safest to use the back burners when cooking, and never leave anything cooking unattended in the kitchen.
• Educate Kids about never going near the oven, stove, cook top, and/or any heat producing appliance, and create a “KID FREE ZONE” around all of these. 
• Use oven locks, stove knob covers, and stove guards as added layers of protection around appliances. If possible, remove the stove/oven knobs when not in use. 
• Never carry hot liquids (including coffee, soup, hot chocolate, hot cider, etc.), while carrying a baby or child, and never transfer hot liquids over a baby or child. 
• Always move hot items and sharp items away from the edges of counters and tables. Never use candles when there are children of any age present. And be sure to keep all matches, lighters, and any other ignition sources locked up, out of reach of the kids.
• Never leave electrical cords dangling over the edges of countertops. Children may tug on them and pull potentially hot and/or heavy appliances over on top of them.
• Avoid using placemats and table clothes when there are children around. They can pull on them, causing not only a huge mess, but hot items to spill. (source-safekidsusa.ning.com)

 Want to learn more? Visit FEMA - Holiday Cooking Safety for more

Young Children and Fire: Life Saving Tips
 

• Keep matches, lighters and other items used for ignition in a secured drawer or cabinet out of the reach of children.
• Teach your children to tell you when they find matches and lighters.
• Always dress children in pajamas that meet Federal flammability standards. Avoid dressing children for sleep in loose-fitting, 100% cotton garments, such as oversized t-shirts.
• Teach children not to hide from firefighters, but to get out quickly and call for help from another location.
• Show children how to crawl low on the floor, below the smoke, to get out of the house and stay out.
• Demonstrate how to stop, drop to the ground, and roll if clothes catch fire.
• Develop and practice a home fire escape plan and designate a meeting place outside. Get out and stay out.
• Familiarize children with the sound of your smoke alarm.
• Replace mattresses made prior to the 2007 Federal Mattress Flammability Standard.
• Check under beds and in closets for burnt matches, evidence your child may be playing with fire.