Preparing and Preventing a Home Fire in your Cheatham, Robertson or Dickson County Home

10/28/2015 (Permalink)

Steps you can take now:

• Keep items that can catch on fire at least three feet away from anything that gets hot, such as space heaters.
• Never smoke in bed
• Talk to your children regularly about the dangers of fire, matches and lighters and keep them out of reach.
• Turn portable heaters off when you leave the room or go to sleep.

Smoke Alarms:

• Install smoke alarms on every level of your home, inside bedrooms and outside sleeping areas.
• Teach your children what smoke alarms sound like and what to do when they hear one.
• Test smoke alarms once a month, if they’re not working, change the batteries.
• Smoke alarms should be replaced every 10 years. Never disable smoke or carbon monoxide alarms.
• Carbon monoxide alarms are not substitutes for smoke alarms. Know the difference between the sound of smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms.

Cooking Safely:

• Stay in the kitchen when frying, grilling or broiling food. If you leave the kitchen, turn off the stove.
• Stay in the home while simmering, baking, roasting or boiling food. Check it regularly and use a timer to remind you that food is cooking.
• Keep anything that can catch fire – like pot holders, towels, plastic and clothing – away from the stove.
• Keep pets off cooking surfaces and countertops to prevent them from knocking things onto the burner.