o
Our furnace has been inspected and serviced by a
qualified professional during the last 12 months. (A furnace should be serviced at least once a year.)
o
Our chimneys and vents have been cleaned and
inspected by a qualified professional. I have checked for creosote build-up. (Not cleaning your chimney is the leading
cause of chimney fires from built up creosote. This service needs to be done at
least once a year.)
o
Our wood for our fireplace or wood stove is dry,
seasoned wood.
o
We have a covered metal container ready to use
to dispose of cooled ashes. (The ash
container should be kept at least 10 feet from the home and any nearby
buildings.)
o
Our children know to stay at least 3 feet away
from the fireplace, wood/pellet stove, oil stove or other space heaters.
o
Our portable space heaters have an automatic
shut-off.
o
Our portable space heaters will be plugged
directly into an outlet (not an extension
cord) and placed at least three feet from anything that can burn; like
bedding, paper, walls, and even people. (Place
notes throughout your home to remind you to turn off portable heaters when you
leave a room or go to bed.)
o
We have tested our smoke alarms and made sure
they are working. (You need smoke alarms
on every level of the home, inside each sleeping room and outside each separate
sleeping area. For the best protection, the smoke alarms should be
interconnected so when one sounds, they all sound.)
o
We have tested our carbon monoxide alarms and
made sure they are working. (Carbon
monoxide alarms should be located outside each sleeping area and on every level
of the home.)