SW Connecticut News

(Norwalk, Conn.) Today,  June 30, 2022, and ahead of the Fourth of July holiday weekend,  Norwalk's Fire Marshal's Office shared safety tips for preventing fires  to protect lives and properties in the City of Norwalk.

According to the National Fire Protection Association, most home fires and fire casualties result from cooking, heating equipment, electrical distribution and lighting equipment, intentional fire setting, and smoking materials. 

Here are several safety recommendations to prevent fires in homes and protect residents:

• Install and regularly test smoke and carbon monoxide detectors
  1. Keep a battery backup detector handy, and check it regularly.
• Have a fire escape plan and practice it regularly
  1. If there is a fire in your home, you should close all doors behind you to keep a barrier between you and the fire.
  2. When  fire alarm devices are activated, immediately exit the house. Don't  reenter your home until it's been confirmed that there are no present  dangers.
• Dispose of and extinguish all smoking materials  
  1. Smoking materials are one of the leading causes of home fire fatalities and should be appropriately disposed of at all times.
  2. Sand or dirt-filled metal containers can ensure proper extinguishment of smoking materials.
• Keep all matches, lighters, or other ignition sources in a safe storage space where children cannot access them
  1. Matches and lighters can be deadly in a child's hands.
• Use care when using candles or incense
  1. Please don't leave them unattended in your home or on exterior porches.
  2. Maintain 3 feet from combustible materials when they are in use.
• Don't walk away while cooking
  1. Never leave combustible materials on stovetops or inside ovens.

The  Fire Marshal's Office has also developed a free smoke alarm  installation program for Norwalk residents in single and two-family  homes. The Fire Marshal's Office has installed over 250 smoke alarms in  single and two-family dwellings at no cost to residents. The Office also  offers a free in-home fire safety inspection upon request. 

The  installations are completed on a first-come, first-serve basis. Services  to install smoke alarms are available Monday - Thursday from 4:00-7:00  PM. To request service, please contact either:

• Fire Marshal/Prevention Secretary Paulette Saddler at 203-854-0244;
• Fire Marshal Broderick Sawyer at 203-854- 0248; or 
• Deputy Fire Marshal Kirk McDonald at 203-854-0249.

For more information on fire prevention tips, please visit norwalkct.org/fire.

_{Source: https://www.norwalkct.org/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=2276}