Public Safety & Education

Home Safety

Preventing fires and preparing for emergencies starts at home. From creating a fire escape plan to safely heating your space, taking proactive steps can protect your family and property. Explore the tips below to help reduce risks and stay ready in the event of a fire.

Home Escape Plan

In the event of a home fire, you may have less than two minutes to safely escape once the smoke alarm sounds. Creating and practicing a fire escape plan is a critical step in protecting your household.

When Creating Your Plan

• Draw a map of your home, including all doors and windows.
• Identify two ways out of every room, if possible.
• Ensure doors and windows open easily and are not blocked.
• Choose a safe meeting place outside, in front of your home.
• Practice your home fire drill at least twice a year with everyone in your household.
• Push the test button on your smoke alarm to begin the drill.
• Get outside quickly—and stay outside.

If a Fire Breaks Out

When in doubt, just get out. Close doors behind you as you leave to help contain the fire. Call 911 from a safe location. If you attempt to fight the fire, make sure others are already evacuating and you have a clear path to the exit.

• Download the Home Fire Escape Plan Map

Home Heating

Home heating is the second leading cause of home fires. You can prevent a heating fire with these simple steps:

• Keep anything that can burn at least three feet away from fireplaces, wood stoves, portable heaters and radiators. 
• When you leave a room or go to bed, turn heaters off or unplug them. 
• Have your furnace, chimney and chimney connector inspected by a professional each fall/winter. Make any needed repairs before the cool weather sets in. 

Electrical Issues

Follow these safety tips to prevent an electrical fire: 

• Plug only one heat-producing appliance into the electrical outlet. Never use an extension cord. Examples include microwaves, coffee makers and portable heaters.
• Plug portable heaters directly into the outlet. Don't use an extension cord. Make sure your heater has an automatic shut-off switch that turns it off if it tips over. 
• Extension cords should be for temporary use only. If you have an electrical cord that is frayed or broken, don't use it. 

Cooking is the leading cause of home fires in the United States. In fact, the National Fire Protection Association reports that nearly 40% of all home fires start in the kitchen—more than any other room in the house. Fortunately, most of these fires are preventable. Follow these safety tips to help keep your kitchen—and your family—safe.

If You Have a Cooking Fire

When in doubt, get out. Evacuate immediately, closing the door behind you to help contain the fire. Call 911 from outside. If you try to fight the fire be sure others are evacuating and keep a clear path to the exit. After any fire, have the appliance inspected or serviced before using it again.

For a stovetop fire...

• Keep an oven mitt and lid nearby when cooking.
• If a small grease fire starts, carefully slide the lid over the pan to smother the flames.
• Turn off the burner and leave the pan in place until it has completely cooled.
• Never move the pan or use water on the fire.

For an oven fire...

• Turn off the heat and keep the oven door closed.

For a microwave fire...

• Turn the appliance off and keep the door closed.
• Do not open the door until the fire is fully out.
• Unplug it only if it’s safe to do so.

Protecting Children

Children under 5 years old are at greater risk for non-fire burns, especially in the kitchen. Here’s how to help prevent these injuries:

• Teach kids that hot things burn. Help them understand and recognize heat hazards.
• Create a “kid-free zone.” Keep children at least 3 feet away from stoves, hot appliances, and areas where food or drinks are being prepared or carried.
• Never hold a child while cooking, drinking, or carrying hot items.
• Use back burners when possible and keep hot foods and liquids away from counter and table edges where they can be pulled down or accidentally spilled.

Top Cooking Safety Tips

Stay in the kitchen

Never leave food unattended when frying, grilling, boiling, or broiling. If you need to step away, turn off the burner.

Use timers and stay nearby

When baking or roasting, use a timer with fresh batteries and a loud alarm. Stay inside the home and check food regularly.

Keep flammable items away from the stove

Maintain a 3-foot safety zone around your cooking area. Keep these items well away from heat sources:

• Dish towels and paper towels
• Food packaging
• Oven mitts and pot holders
• Plastic or paper bags
• Wooden utensils
• Curtains or long sleeves

Maintain a clean cooking area

Wipe down stovetops and ovens regularly to prevent grease buildup, which can easily ignite.

Turn pot handles inward

Position handles toward the back of the stove to prevent spills. Keep pets off counters and cooking surfaces to avoid accidents.

Stay alert

Don’t cook if you’re overly tired, under the influence of alcohol, or taking medication that causes drowsiness.

Use cooking equipment properly

Only use tested and approved kitchen appliances, and always follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

Use microwaves with caution

Microwaves are a leading cause of scald burns. Always use microwave-safe containers, open heated items carefully, and stir food before eating to prevent burns from uneven heating.

Be prepared for emergencies

Keep a small, charged fire extinguisher in or near the kitchen—never use water on a grease fire. Know how to call 911 quickly, and don’t delay if a fire starts.

Limit kitchen traffic

When cooking for a group, keep children and non-helpers out of the kitchen. A crowded space increases the risk of burns and spills.

Smoke Alarms

Smoke alarms are an extremely valuable resource to the safety of residential and commercial properties throughout the City of Crestwood. Below are a few tips about smoke alarms to follow:

• Treat every smoke alarm activation as a likely fire and react quickly and safely to the alarm. Teach everyone in the household, including young children and visitors, what steps to take when the fire alarm goes off. 
• Put working smoke alarms on every level of your home and inside and outside of sleeping areas. Make sure to test your alarms each month and replace batteries at least once, if not twice a year.
• If a smoke alarm sounds during normal cooking, you may need to move it farther away from the kitchen (according to the manufacturer’s instructions) and/or install a smoke alarm with a pause button. DO NOT disable the smoke alarm or take the batteries out! If your alarm device already has a pause button, push the pause button, open the door or window, and fan the area around the alarm with a towel to get the air moving. 

Fireworks Safety

The City of Crestwood Department of Fire Safety follows the National Fire Protection Association guidelines when it comes to Consumer Fireworks - Be Careful!

• If you want to see fireworks, go to a public show put on by experts. 
• Keep a close eye on children at any event where fireworks might be present
• Do not use consumer fireworks, including sparklers and firecrackers. Sparklers burn up to 1200°F, which nearly 6x hotter than the temperature in which water boils. They are hot enough to cause third-degree burns and account for roughly 25% of all emergency room fireworks injuries.
• There are estimated to be more than 18,000 fires started by fireworks every year, resulting in more than $100 million in direct property damage. Additionally, more than 9,000 fireworks injuries occur every year.

Safety Tips for Grilling & Campfires

Every year Americans look forward to summer vacations, camping, family reunions, picnics, and the Fourth of July. Summertime should be a time of fun and making happy memories, however, it also bring fires and injuries due to outdoor cooking and recreational fires. Here are a few fire safety tips worth knowing to help everyone have a safe summer: 

• Position the grill well away from siding, deck railings, and out from under leaves and overhanging branches.
• Keep children and pets from the grill area: declare a three-foot "safe zone" around the grill.
• If you own a propane grill, check the cylinder hose for leaks before using it for the first time each year. A light soap and water solution applied to the hose will reveal escaping propane quickly by releasing bubbles.
• Avoid using softwood, such as pine or cedar that will likely pop and throw sparks, in a fire pit. The use of seasoned hardwood is suggested.
• Don’t build a campfire at a site in hazardous, dry conditions or if the campground, area, or event rules prohibit campfires.

Turkey Fryer Safety Tips

One of the biggest fire safety issues during Thanksgiving is those that use turkey fryers. Here are a few tips to make sure your bird is cooked in the safest way possible: 

• Never use turkey fryers in a garage or on a wooden deck. Make sure to use fryers only in the outdoors, a safe distance away from any structure or combustible materials
• Also, make sure fryers are on a flat surface to reduce any accidental tipping that may occur on an uneven surface
• Never leave the fryer unattended. As most units do not have a thermostat control, if you do not watch the fryer carefully, the oil will continue to heat until it catches fire. Plus it will ruin the taste of the turkey!
• Make sure the turkey is completely thawed and be careful with marinades. Oil and water do not mix. The water causes oil to spill over causing a fire and/or even an explosion hazard. The National Turkey Federation recommends thawing the turkey in the refrigerator approximately 24 hours for every five pounds in weight.
• Never let children or pets near the fryer, even if it’s not in use. The cooking oil inside the unit will remain dangerously hot for hours after use.
• To avoid oil spillover, do not overfill the fryer.
• Make sure to talk all precautions when it comes to dressing safely as well. Wear safety goggles to protect your eyes from oil splatter and only use well-insulated potholders or oven mitts when touching the pot or lid handles. 
• Keep an all-purpose fire extinguisher nearby. Never use water to extinguish a grease fire. If the fire is manageable, use your all-purpose fire extinguisher. If the fire increases, immediately call the fire department for help.

Winter Holiday Fires

When it comes to the holiday season, make sure to stay safe. Here are a few tips to keep everyone a little safer: 

• Candles: It is said that on average, nearly 20 home candle fires were reported each day of the year, causing more than 150 deaths and north of $500 million in property damage. The top three days for home candle fires are Christmas Day, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. Do not use real candles as part of decorations and always exercise basic fire safety by remembering to keep candles at least 12 inches away from anything that burns.  
• Christmas Trees: While Christmas tree fires are not that common, when they do occur, they are very dangerous. On average, nearly 1 out of every 50 reported Christmas tree fires have results in death and result in more than $10 million in direct property damage annually. 
  • The main cause of that is a heat source too close to the Christmas tree, which causes 1 in every 4 winter fires. Remember to keep your tree at least three feet away from heat sources like fireplaces, radiators, space heaters and more. 
  • Do not leave a lighted Christmas tree (reminder, no candles) unattended. Natural cut Christmas trees always involve some kind of risk of fire. To minimize the risk, get a fresh tree and keep it watered at all times. 
  • Decorate with children in mind. Do not put ornaments that have small parts or metal hooks, or look like food or candy, on the lower branches where small children can reach them. 
  • Never burn Christmas tree branches, treated wood or wrapping paper in a home fireplace. 
• Light strands: Some lights are only for indoor or outdoor use, but not both. Make sure to only use the correct number of light strands connected at once. Also, replace any string of lights with worn or broken cords or loose bulb connections. Use clips, not nails, to hang lights so the cords do not get damaged. Inspect light strands every single year and replace if they become damaged. 
• Other Decorations: Be careful with holiday decorations. Choose decorations that are flame resistant or flame retardant. Also, make sure to read a manufacturer's instructions for anything that might cause a fire hazard.

Swimming is a great recreational sport that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. But it’s important to know how to be safe while you’re in the water. The American Red Cross offers these important swimming safety tips to help you and your kids be safe this summer before you head out to the pool or beach:

• Swim in designated areas only, supervised by lifeguards.
• Maintain constant supervision.
• Always swim with a buddy. Do not allow anyone to swim alone.
• Never leave a young child unattended near water and do not trust a child’s life to another child; teach children to always ask permission to go near water.
• Have young children or inexperienced swimmers wear U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jackets around water, but do not rely on life jackets alone.
• Make sure everyone in your family learns to swim well. Enroll in age-appropriate Red Cross water orientation and learn-to-swim courses.
• If you have a pool, secure it with appropriate barriers. Many children who drown in home pools were out of sight for less than five minutes and in the care of one or both parents at the time.
• Avoid distractions when supervising children around water.
• If a child is missing, check the water first. Seconds count in preventing death or disability.
• Have appropriate equipment around, such as reaching or throwing equipment, a cell phone, life jackets and a first aid kit.
• Know how and when to call 9-1-1 or the local emergency number.
• Protect your skin. Limit the amount of direct sunlight you receive between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. and wear sunscreen with a protection factor of at least 15.
• Drink plenty of water regularly, even if you’re not thirsty. Avoid drinks with alcohol or caffeine in them.
• Enroll in Red Cross home pool safety, water safety, first aid and CPR/AED courses, etc. to learn how to prevent and respond to emergencies.

A Guide to Pool Safety for Property Owners

Pools present a number of risks regardless of whether you’re swimming, hanging out on the steps, or not getting in the water at all. In addition to personal precautions you should take, every city and town has its own laws regarding pool safety standards and building codes. Be sure to check them before buying a house with a pool or building your own.

Understanding pool safety is crucial for any homeowner. Below are additional helpful suggestions for pool safety - whether required by law or insurance, the following precautions should be taken by all homeowners before and after building a pool:

• Installing proper fencing and safety perimeters
• Purchasing safety alarms for your home and pool
• Keeping your pool chemically balanced
• Having an automatic and lockable cover
• Understanding your guests’ swimming abilities before allowing them in your pool
• Having an emergency rescue plan
• Keeping safety equipment easily accessible

Setting Safety Rules

Whether you are swimming with immediate family members, friends or guests, establishing and implementing rules can help prevent accidents and injuries. The following can help you start creating a list of safety measures:

• Set open and close times
• Set diving rules
• Limit running around the pool
• Attend to children
• Don't use glass
• Don't swim alone
• Properly display your rules

Type of Safety Equipment to Purchase

A variety of pool safety equipment can be purchased to protect your family and guests, especially children. Follow these steps to have the proper material on had.

• Get a protective cover
• Monitor all entryways
• Fence in your pool
• Purchase a pool alarm
• Have rescue gear readily available
• Provide swimming lessons
• Display safety signage