Know the Facts - Fort Wayne Fire Department

Know the Facts: Building a Safer Community Together

Carbon Monoxide Safety

Protect your family from carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning by installing CO detectors near all bedroom areas.
CO cannot be seen, smelled, or tasted but it can make you sick or kill you.
Symptoms of CO poisoning can be headache, fatigue, dizziness, nausea, confusion, seizures, loss of consciousness, and even death.
Have fireplaces, chimneys, and furnaces inspected yearly.
Never use emergency generators indoors and keep them away from doors, windows, and vents.
Always move vehicles outside the garage when warming them up.
Never use the oven or stove to supplement or heat your home.
If the CO alarm activates you must get fresh air. Get outside ASAP and call 911.
Stay outside until help arrives.

Heating Your Home Safely

If you have gas powered appliances, furnace, or a fireplace you should install CO detectors outside all bedroom areas.
Have all heating equipment, fireplaces, and chimneys inspected every year by a qualified technician.
Keep flammable products at least 3 feet away from any heat source.
Keep children away from any heating equipment.
Space and kerosene heaters should have automatic shut-offs in case they tip over.
Only fill kerosene heaters outdoors when they are cool.
Turn off any space heater before leaving the room or going to bed.
Never leave a wood stove or fireplace on when leaving the house or when going to bed.
Never burn paper in a fireplace and be sure the fireplace screens/doors remain closed to prevent embers from jumping out.
Plug space heaters directly into outlets, never use extension cords.
Space heaters need space so they should only be used in rooms with plenty of space.

The following videos include additional carbon monoxide and heating safety tips:

Cooking Safely at Home

Always stay at the stove when cooking. Unattended cooking is the number one cause of house fires.
Wear short or close-fitting clothing to prevent clothes from catching on fire.
Create a 3 foot safety zone around the stove to prevent young children from getting burned.
Turn pan handles inward to prevent spills.
Keep all flammable materials away from hot surfaces and open flames.
Clean cooking surfaces to prevent grease build up.
To extinguish a small cooking fire cover the pan with a lid/cookie sheet, use a fire extinguisher, or pour baking soda on the fire.
Never ever use water to extinguish a cooking fire.
Never attempt to move any pan that is on fire.
If items in the stove or microwave catch on fire leave the door closed, and turn off the heat.
Be very careful when removing hot foods from the microwave.
When children are old enough, teach them the safe way to use the oven and microwave.

Thank you to PBS 39 Studios for creating these videos for the FWFD.