Injury Prevention

Injury Prevention and Education

Have smoke alarms that work!

Fire makes smoke
Smoke is silent. Smoke is fast.
Smoke can kill you.
Smoke alarms are loud.
They will wake you up.
Have smoke alarms.
Test you smoke alarms each month.

Disasters and your family.

Talk about the kinds of disasters that can happen where you live.
Make plans so everyone will know what to do.
Pick safe places in your home where you can go if there is a tornado.
Pick safe places to take cover fast if there is an earthquake.
Learn the phone numbers to call if your family is not together.
Make a copy of the phone numbers to call for each person to keep with them.
Pick someone out of town to call if you get separated.
Put together the things you will need for an emergency.
Be prepared to stay or to go in an emergency.

Dryers & washing machines

Do not operate the dryer without a lint filter.
Clean lint filters before or after each use and remove accumulated lint from around the drum.
Make sure that the dryer is plugged into an outlet suitable for its electrical needs as overloaded electrical outlets can result in blown fuses or tripped circuit breakers.
Turn the dryer off when leaving the home.
Keep the dryer area clear of combustibles (i.e., boxes or clothing).
Dryers should be installed and serviced by a professional.
Have gas-powered dryers inspected by a professional regularly to ensure that the gas line and connection are intact.
Dryers and washing machines were involved in one out of every 25 home structure fires reported to U.S. fire departments in 1999-2002.
Dryers and washing machines were involved in an average of 13,300 home structure fires per year between 1999 and 2002. These fires caused an average of 10 deaths, 280 injuries and $97 million in direct property damage per year.
Clothes dryers and washing machines were involved in 4% of the home structure fires reported between 1999 and 2002.
Clothes dryers accounted for 93% of the fires; washing machines 4%, and washer and dryer combinations accounted for 3%.
The leading cause of home clothes dryer and washer fires was failure to clean (30%), followed by unclassified mechanical failure or malfunction (19%). Sixteen percent were caused by some type of electrical failure or short circuit.
Almost one third (31%) of these fires started with the ignition of clothing. In one quarter (24%), dust, fiber, or lint was the first item ignited.

Wildland Fires

If you're moving to a new home in a rural area or buying land to build a new home, do a thorough outdoor fire safety check before you proceed. Locate the home on the lot with adequate setback from downhill slopes. Wildland fire travels uphill rapidly – make sure that your home won't be in its path.
Make sure that the area has adequate public fire protection available. Will emergency vehicles have easy access to the house? Is your address clearly visible from the road? Will firefighters have access to a water supply to put out a fire?
Make your roof fire safe. Untreated wood shake roofs are the leading cause of wildland fire losses. A roof made of fire-resistant or non-combustible materials can make your home safer. Also, use non-combustible (metal) screening in eave vents and for windows.
Sweep gutters, roofs, and eaves regularly and remove dead branches from around or near chimneys. Burning firebrands or embers can collect in the same space that leaves and pine needles do. Remove leaves and needles from cellar window walls and from corners and crevices around the outside of your home.
Create a survivable space, safety zone or "fire break" around your home. Flammable (highly resinous) plants, woodpiles, and debris should be kept as far away from the exterior walls of the home as possible. Fences, decks, or outbuildings connected to the house must be considered part of the house; construct them out of non-combustible materials and keep them clear of pine needles, dead leaves, etc.
For more information about creating more defensible space around your home, download this educational document: Living With Fire.