Protect your family from fire and carbon monoxide

October is Fire Safety Month, but any month is a good time to safeguard your family and home from fire and the silent dangers of carbon monoxide gas.

Time

15 minutes

Difficulty

Easy

Expertise

None

Frequency

Some monthly, some annually

Where

All US

Overview

You've heard reminders about fire and carbon monoxide safety so often that you might tune them out. The approximately 400,000 home fires in the US each year suggest that a lot of people tune them out – until it's too late. Don't become a statistic; take 15 minutes now to check the alarms on your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and make sure your fire extinguishers are ready.

Steps

1. Test the smoke detector.
   • Every month, press the test button to verify that the unit has power and an audible alarm.
   • Twice a year, make sure the unit can detect smoke by using an aerosol smoke detector tester to blow smoke into the unit. If you don't have a tester, use a candle or smoke stick. It should take very little smoke to activate the alarm.
   • Twice a year, open the alarm's cover and lightly vacuum the interior with a delicate brush attachment.
   • Replace the battery once a year, or any time it makes a chirping sound indicating that it's failing.
2. Inspect your fire extinguishers.
   • Check that the fire extinguishers hanging near the door of the kitchen, basement, garage and workshop are the right type for the kind of fire likely in that room. Class A fires are combustibles such as wood, paper and fabric; Class B fires involve flammable liquids and grease; and class C fires are electrical fires.
   • Reread the owner's manual to remind yourself how to use the extinguisher. Remember the acronym PASS: Pull out the pin, Aim at the base of the fire, Squeeze the lever or button to spray the extinguishing agent, and Sweep from side to side.
   • The extinguishing chemical becomes ineffective over time, so check the manual to see when to recharge or replace your extinguishers. Many fire departments can recharge extinguishers.
3. Test the alarm on your carbon monoxide (CO) detector. The test checks only whether the alarm is audible and the battery works. It doesn't confirm that the alarm can detect CO.
4. Install more alarms and fire extinguishers if needed. Ask your fire department where local building codes require that you install CO detectors and smoke alarms. And install at least one fire extinguisher in a convenient location on each level of your home.
   • Install smoke alarms in the middle of the ceiling; if that's not possible, mount them on the wall at least 3 feet from a corner and 4 to 6 inches from the ceiling.
   • Install smoke alarms away from drafts from fans or air ducts. The moving air can blow smoke away from the sensor.
   • Avoid placing smoke alarms too near the kitchen stove and bathroom shower, because cooking smoke and shower steam can cause nuisance alarms.
   • Mount basement alarms at the bottom of the basement stairwell.
5. Teach the members of your household what to do in case of a fire:
   • Identify two escape exits from any room in the house. Feel the door and doorknob to see if it is hot before opening to escape; if either is hot, use the alternate exit to escape.
   • Crawl on the floor to escape smoke — smoke and heat both rise.
   • Meet at a prearranged spot outside the home, so you can quickly know who is safe.