Safety Equipment

Smoke Alarms

  • Do you have a smoke alarm on every level of your home?
  • Do you have a smoke alarm in every sleeping area?
  • Do you have a smoke alarm in common areas outside sleeping areas?
  • Do you replace the batteries once a year?
  • Do you replace your smoke alarms every ten years?
  • Do you test your smoke alarms once a month?
  • Do you know if everyone can hear the alarm and be awakened during a fire? Special alarms are available for hearing impaired.

Carbon Monoxide Alarms

Carbon monoxide, often called the "silent killer," is an invisible, odorless, colorless gas created when fuels (such as gasoline, wood, coal, natural gas, propane, oil, and methane) burn incompletely. 

In the home, heating and cooking equipment that burn fuel are potential sources of carbon monoxide. Vehicles or generators running in an attached garage can also produce dangerous levels of carbon monoxide. 

Many of these symptoms are similar to the flu, food poisoning, or other illnesses. Symptoms of CO poisoning may include:

  • Dizziness
  • Faintness
  • Mental confusion
  • Nausea
  • Severe headache

Use the following tips to stay safe from carbon monoxide at home.

  • Install CO alarms (listed by an independent testing laboratory) inside your home to provide early warning of accumulating CO.
  • CO alarms should be installed in a central location outside within ten feet of sleeping areas.
  • Test CO alarms at least once a month, and replace CO alarms according to the manufacturer's instructions.
  • When the detector goes of everyone should leave the home immediately if anyone is feeling the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning.
  • Dial 911 and leave the home if anyone is feeling ill.
  • If the alarm sounds and nobody has any signs of carbon monoxide poisoning you should contact the gas company or provider in your area to have a service technician check your home CO levels. You should leave the home until you know the carbon monoxide levels have been checked and determined to be normal.
  • Know the difference between the sound of the smoke alarms and the sound of the CO alarms.

Fire Extinguishers

  • Do you have adequate fire extinguishers in your home?
  • Do you have fire extinguishers in your vehicles?
  • Understand that there are different types of fires and different types of fire extinguishers. You can get a Multi-purpose extinguisher for home use.
  • Do you know how to use a extinguisher? 
    • Pull the pin.
    • Aim the hose at the base of the fire.
    • Squeeze the trigger.
    • Sweep the agent to extinguish the fire
  • If you don't understand how to use your fire extinguisher, call the Fire Department at 507-444-2454 for assistance.
  • Always call 911 to report the fire first.
  • Make sure you can easily extinguish the fire without breathing smoke.
  • Always maintain the ability to safely exit the area if you cannot extinguish the fire.