Prepare Your Home for an Emergency
Is your home prepared for an emergency? Use our list below to get it in better shape.
- Have your home inspected for fire and building codes.
- Repair poor wiring and large cracks in plaster.
- Buy disaster insurance to cover home and property.
- Ask your insurance company or local emergency authorities about the National Flood Insurance Program.
- Keep important papers and photos of personal property in a safety deposit box.
- Put easy-to-reach ABC fire extinguishers on every floor. Ask your Fire Department to train you. Check periodically.
- Install smoke detectors outside each sleeping area, not in kitchens or bathrooms. Check and dust your smoke detectors once a month. Change smoke detector batteries yearly (a good time is when you adjust your clocks each fall).
- Install a carbon monoxide (CO) detector. Maintain the CO detector according to the manufacturer's instructions.
- Buy flashlights and emergency lighting.
- Avoid candles (fire hazard).
- Make your address visible from the street so fire trucks can find you.
- Secure your water heater.
- Locate your home's main water, electrical, and gas shut-offs. Learn how and when to shut them off. Mark the shut-offs with brightly colored stickers or tape.
