“With the tragic recent events that have unfolded in both New York and Philadelphia, the New Jersey State Fire Marshal’s office has issued safety tips on fire prevention and actions to take should a fire occur to increase the chances of saving your homes and families. As always, ensuring you have functional and reliable smoke detectors in every bedroom, outside of each separate sleeping area, and on each level of your home including your basement is paramount. If your smoke detectors use batteries, it is recommended to change the batteries every six (6) months (an easy way to remember this is to change the batteries when you change your clocks to observe Daylight Savings Time) and if you have sealed units, to replace the entire smoke detector after no more than ten (10) years. If your smoke detector is chirping abnormally and changing the batteries (in unsealed units) does not resolve the issue, replace the entire smoke detector completely. It’s imperative to have a home escape plan to ensure that all occupants of the home know where to meet in a safe and distanced location from the home should a fire occur. This helps with accounting for everyone that may be in the structure and will aid firefighting personnel in knowing if anyone has not evacuated. Should space heaters or any other heating equipment/appliances be needed during winter months, it’s important to ensure at least a three (3) foot clearance from any combustible or flammable materials and objects. Finally, it is best practice to start closing interior doors within the home before retiring for the evening. Doing so actually helps to keep toxic smoke from entering these rooms, can delay or completely keep out fire from spreading into these rooms, maintains more oxygen to breathe within that area, and can actually hold back heat from the fire keeping the temperature of the room under 100°F! Should a fire occur, closing doors behind you as you exit the building can aid in slowing the fire spread as well.

There is more useful and important information located in the publication from the Division of Fire Safety (DFS) through the Department of Community Affairs (DCA) in the link below. Please review this information and enact the recommendations from the DFS in your homes to expand your fire safety knowledge, awareness, and preparedness while also keeping your families as safe as possible!”

https://www.nj.gov/dca/news/news/2021/approved/20220112.shtml