Visiting Brandon?

Contact Information

Brandon Fire & Emergency Services

120 - 19th Street North
Brandon, MB R7B 3X6

Fire Hall #1: 204-729-2400

Fire Hall #2: 204-729-2420

Email: fire@brandon.ca

 

Home Fire Safety Checklist

Dear Parent or Caregiver:

 

Score a fire safety home run - do a home fire safety inspection!

Striking out fire in your home requires a little homework. Take about 10 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

__Y __N Does a grown-up always stay in the kitchen when food is cooking on the stove?
__Y __N Are stove tops and counters clean and uncluttered?
__Y __N Are pot handles turned inward so they can’t be bumped?
__Y __N Are curtains and other things that can burn well away from the stove?
__Y __N Are there pot holders within easy reach of the stove?
__Y __N Is there a “kid-free” zone of three feet (one metre) around the stove when grown-ups are cooking?

Second Base - Heating Safety

__Y __N Has your chimney been inspected and cleaned during the past year?
__Y __N Are propane tanks and other fuels stored outside your home?
__Y __N Are portable space heaters always turned off when adults leave the room or go to sleep?
__Y __N Has your furnace been serviced by a professional in the past year?
__Y __N If space heaters are used in your home, are they at least three feet (one metre) away from anything else that can burn, including people, furniture and pets?
__Y __N Does your fireplace have a sturdy screen to catch sparks?

Third Base - Electrical Safety

__Y __N Are extension cords used safely? (Are they not under carpets or across doorways?)
__Y __N Are kitchen appliances - such as the coffee-maker, toaster oven, and microwave- plugged into separate receptacle outlets?
__Y __N Are electrical cords in good condition, without cracks or frayed areas?


Home Plate - Smoke Alarms/Home Fire Escape

__Y __N Does your home have working smoke alarms on every floor and inside or near all sleeping areas?
__Y __N Are all the exits in your home clear of furniture, toys and clutter?
__Y __N Has your family practised a home fire drill within the last six months?
__Y __N Are the batteries working in all your smoke alarms? (A grown-up should help by pushing the test button to find out.)
__Y __N Does your family have a home fire escape plan that includes two exits, usually a door and a window, from each room?
__Y __N Has your family picked a safe place to meet outside after you exit your home?
__Y __N Have you and your family practiced a home fire drill within the last six months? (Why not do one tonight?)
__Y __N Do you know the fire department’s emergency phone number (Which should be called from a neighbour’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!