Skip to a Fire Safety Tip Section
To report a possible hazardous condition, call 911. If you would like more fire safety information, please contact the Jackson Township Fire Department.
General Fire Safety
- Keep a fire extinguisher in your home and car, and read the directions.
- Dial 911 before attempting to attack the fire yourself, no matter how small the fire seems.
- Remember that lives are much more valuable than property. If you're out of the building, STAY OUT!
- Don't smoke in bed.
- Don't leave your cigarettes or other lit smoking materials unattended.
- Keep ashtrays away from curtains, upholstered furniture, and other combustibles.
- Always look for the Underwriters Laboratory (UL) or Factory Mutual (FM) labels when purchasing appliances, storage containers or electrical accessories.
- Remember that smoke, heat and toxic gases from fires can kill you long before flames get to your part of the structure. KEEP LOW when evacuating.
At Home
- Set up Evacuation Drills In The Home (EDITH) - practice evacuating your house, and meeting at the designated point OUTSIDE.
- GET OUT of your house if you have a fire - call 911 from your neighbor's house.
- Take a walk around your house, shed, garage and property. Repair or discard any unsafe items, and make sure you have any flammable materials stored safely.
- Discard properly any soiled cleaning rags or towels. Soiled material can spontaneously combust under certain conditions.
- Clean your clothes dryer's filter between each load.
- Pull your dryer out from the wall, and ensure that there isn't a dangerous buildup of lint behind the dryer or in the exhaust hose.
- Make sure that everything you put in the dishwasher is safe for dishwasher use - plastic can burn from contacting the heating element.
Smoke Detectors
- Check your smoke detectors monthly, and replace the batteries in them in the spring and fall when you adjust your clocks.
- Install at least one smoke detector on each floor of your house, away from air vents, and at least six inches away from walls and corners.
- Consider installing both a photo-electric and ionization smoke detector in your house. While photo-electric detectors may react quicker than ionization detectors, the photo-electric detectors may not detect the black smoke generated by synthetic materials as quickly as the white smoke generated by natural materials.
- Install smoke detectors near bedrooms.
- If there are any smokers in the house, install a smoke detector in their bedroom.
- If your smoke detector sounds while you are in bed, DON'T SIT UP! Roll out of bed, and stay low to the floor - remember that the heat and toxic gases are up higher.
Carbon Monoxide
- If you burn anything in your house, such as wood, natural gas, propane, kerosene, or coal, install a Carbon Monoxide (CO) detector. This device can warn you of potentially deadly CO gas before the concentration reaches the harmful level.
- Learn the warning signs of CO poisoning: redness of the skin, headaches, dizziness, nausea, weakness, loss of muscle control, chest tightness, heart fluttering, sleepiness, confusion, vomiting or diarrhea. If more than one person in the household is sick, and they feel better after being away from the house for a while, CO poisoning should be suspected.
- If you suspect CO poisoning, get out of the house and call the fire department.
Children
- Keep matches and lighters out of the reach of children.
- Teach your children never to play with matches, lighters, or fireworks.
- Teach your children how to call 911, as well as their address and telephone number.
- Teach your children the "Stop, Drop, and Roll" method to extinguish flames on themselves.
Travel
- Take a moment to note the evacuation route(s) and instructions before you settle in for the night.
- Take a smoke detector with you, in case your hotel/motel room doesn't have one installed.
Holidays
- All holiday decorations should be non-combustible or flame-retardant, and not placed near heat or electrical sources.
- Keep candles away from flammable materials like curtains, plants, Christmas trees - place candles where they can't be blown over.
- For Halloween, use flashlights, not candles, to light pumpkins.
- Be sure your children dress in flame-resistant costumes.
- Keep Christmas tree needles moist by replenishing the water supply in the base-holder daily. Dryness is the biggest fire safety hazard. Dispose of tree as soon as needles start to fall off.
- Check your indoor and outdoor Christmas lights each year before you use them. If there are frayed cords, exposed wires or broken sockets, replace or repair them. Unplug your lights when you leave your home or go to sleep.
- Never use electric lights on a metallic tree.
- # Don't put wrapping paper in a fireplace or stove - it can throw off dangerous sparks.
- NEVER leave candles and children unattended!
Cooking
- Never "Barbecue" or grill indoors on a smoker or barbecue grill. These devices are intended for outdoor use only.
- Keep your grill at least 30 feet from any structures - for residents of apartments, condominiums and townhouses, it's the law. For the rest of us, it's just an excellent idea.
- Don't leave food unattended on the stove.
- Keep dangling clothing away from burners.
- Turn handles on pots and pans so that they can't be knocked off the stove accidentally.
- Keep appliances clean and free of grease and crumbs.
- Make sure your stove is turned off and small appliances unplugged before leaving the house or going to bed.
Storage
- Make sure that storage areas are free from excess clutter. It adds to the fire load, and can impede your evacuation as well as our attack in case of an emergency incident.
- Make sure that flammable materials are stored in proper containers, well away from sources of heat or ignition.
- Don't store gasoline in your house.
Vehicles
- Don't fill your portable gasoline cans in your vehicle - remove the can from the vehicle.
- When transporting portable gasoline cans, ensure that the container is approved for gasoline storage, is sealed tightly, and is not left in the vehicle for longer than absolutely necessary, especially in warm weather.
- If you smell gasoline or suspect a gasoline leak, don't operate the car until the leak is repaired.
- If you smell smoke or see flames, pull over well off the traveled roadway as soon as safely possible to do so. Don't attempt to drive any further.
Electrical
- Replace frayed or cracked electrical wiring.
- Don't run electric power cords under rugs.
Heating
- Plug electric space heaters directly into the wall socket, not into extension cords.
- Place heaters where they will not be knocked over easily.
- Unplug portable heaters when they are not being used.
- Do not use heaters to dry clothing or other items.
- Make sure your fireplace or woodburning stove is clean and in good repair before using it.
- Keep all combustible materials well away from the heat.
- Make sure you use the proper fuel for your heating device: DON'T use gasoline in a kerosene heater, and DON'T burn coal in a device meant to burn wood.
- Portable kerosene heaters are generally not recommended anywhere.