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Score a fire
safety home run —do a home fire safety inspection!
Striking out fire in your home requires a little
homework. Take about 20 minutes to inspect your home. As you go from
room to room, answer the questions below. For each question you answer
"yes" to, give yourself a point. When you’re finished, add up the points
to find out your score. Kids, ask a grown-up to help you complete this
checklist!
First Base -Cooking Safety
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Does a grown-up always stay in the kitchen when food is
cooking on the stove? |
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Are stove tops and counters clean and uncluttered? |
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Are there
pot holders within easy reach of the stove? |
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Are pot
handles turned inward so they can’t be bumped? |
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Are
curtains and other things that can burn well away from the stove? |
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Is there a
"kid-free" zone of three feet (one meter) around the stove when
grown-ups are cooking? |
Second Base -Heating Safety
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No Are
portable space heaters always turned off when adults leave the room
or go to sleep? |
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No If space
heaters are used in your home, are they at least three feet (one
meter) away from anything else that can burn, including people,
furniture, and pets? |
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No Does
your fireplace have a sturdy screen to catch sparks? |
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Has your
chimney been inspected and cleaned during the past year? |
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Has your
furnace been serviced by a professional in the past year? |
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Are propane
tanks and other fuels stored outside your home? |
Third Base -Electrical Safety
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Are
extension cords used safely? (Are they not under carpets or across
doorways?) |
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Are
electrical cords in good condition, without cracks or frayed areas?
(A grown-up should unplug lamps and appliances before inspecting the
cords.) |
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Are kitchen
appliances – such as the coffee-maker, toaster oven, and microwave –
plugged into separate receptacle outlets? |
Home Plate - Smoke Alarms/Home Fire Escape
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Does
your home have working smoke alarms on every floor and inside or
near all sleeping areas? |
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Are the batteries working in all your smoke alarms? (A grown-up
should help by pushing the test button to find out.) |
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Are all the exits in your home clear of furniture, toys, and
clutter? |
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Does your family have a home fire escape plan that includes two
exits, usually a door and a window, from each room? |
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Has your family picked a safe place to meet outside after you exit
your home? |
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Have you and your family practiced a home fire drill within the last
six months? (Why not do one tonight?) |
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Do you know the fire department’s emergency phone number (which
should be called from a neighbor's or nearby phone once you get
outside)? |
What ’s Your Fire Safety Batting Average?
If you answered "yes" to all of the checklist
questions above, congratulations! You scored a fire safety home run! If
you answered "yes" to 15 to 20 questions, you’ve made it to third base.
just make a few adjustments, and you’ll easily hit a fire safety home
run. If you answered "yes" to 10 to 14 questions, you’ve hit a double.
You’re going in the right direction, but you’ve got some work to do
before you get to home plate. If you answered "yes" to fewer than 10
questions, you’ve reached first base, but you need to make many changes
around your home in order to reach home plate. For all questions to
which you answered "no," make sure your family takes the steps needed to
make them a "yes" so you can all score a fire safety home run!
(reproduced from Firepreventionweek.org)
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