|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
From the perspective of a firefighter, keeping your home safe means stopping fires before they start, managing those first critical moments if one does occur, and helping emergency crews reach you quickly. The following priorities frequently arise during fire emergencies:
Most house fires can be prevented.
Smoke Detectors
- Install smoke alarms outside every bedroom and in hallways on each floor.
- Check them monthly and replace batteries twice a year.
- Smoke alarms save lives—they’re not ornaments. If your alarm chirps every 30 seconds, it’s signaling for a new battery. Ignoring this warning gives fire an advantage.
- Firefighters often respond to homes without working alarms, however according to usaartf.org 94% of homes in the US are equipped with smoke detectors.
- Consider changing out your old battery powered detector with a new 10 year battery type.
Cooking Safety
- Most home fires begin in the kitchen.
- Treat your kitchen as a danger zone, not an open fire pit.
- For grease fires: switch off the heat, cover the pan with a lid, and never add water.
- Stay present when cooking—never leave food unattended.
- Keep flammable items like towels, paper, or boxes far from burners.
- Many fires have started after someone said, “I’ll just be a few minutes.”
- I even made this mistake myself—left a towel near my BBQ’s burners and came back to find it burning. My wife recommended I take a fire safety class.
Electrical Hazards
- Don’t overload outlets or power strips.
- Replace any damaged power cords.
- Use extension cords only temporarily.
Candle Safety
- Candles are not substitutes for nightlights. Blowing them out before bed saves your furniture (and money).
Fire Awareness
- There’s no such thing as “just a fire.”
- Every major blaze began as a small one that wasn’t taken seriously.
- No matter what the size of the fire is, make sure it is completely out. If you’re not sure, or the fire department is already on the way, let them come through to make sure it is. A rekindle can be deadly.
Escape Planning
- Create an escape plan—and make sure you practice it.
Final thought: If firefighters ever need to come to your home, we don’t judge how the fire started—we simply wish it hadn’t happened at all.
About the author: Chief Paul Stain is a retired Fire Chief with the Lakeside CA Fire Protection District, and Training Division Chief from the Santa Monica, CA Fire Department. He also a Master Fire Instructor through the California Office of the State Fire Marshal. Chief Stein has over 50 years of instructional experience and has taught thousands of fire technology students over his long and prestigious career.