Give the Gift of Fire Safety

Looking for the perfect holiday gift this season? The Prince William County Department of Fire and Rescue and the National Fire Protection Association suggest that you show someone how much you care by giving them the gift of fire safety.

Gift ideas include:

Smoke Alarms

Smoke alarms provide an early warning and cut the chance of dying in a fire, nearly in half. Approximately 96 percent of U.S. homes have at least one smoke alarm. Approximately 75 percent of U.S. homes have at least one working smoke alarm. Two-thirds of home fire fatalities occur in homes with no smoke alarms or
no working smoke alarms.
- When smoke alarms fail to operate, usually batteries are missing, disconnected or dead; 25 percent of smoke alarm failures are due to dead batteries.
- Replace batteries when you change your clock, spring and fall. Replace smoke alarms every 10 years.
- Smoke alarms for the deaf or hard of hearing. These alarms include strobe lights, high decibels and/or vibration.

For more information about smoke alarms, visit the Prince William County Department of Fire & Rescue at www.pwcgov.org/SmokeAlarms.

Sturdy Candleholders 

Use lantern-style candle holders to prevent tip-over when candles are lit
and to reduce the risk of items coming in contact with the open flame.

Sturdy Fireplace Screen

Keeps embers out of the room.

Gift Certificates for Clean-up Services

Remove fire-prone clutter from areas that could give fires a place to start such as the basement, attic or yard. Chimney sweeps reduce creosote build-up that can easily ignite.

Warm Clothing and Bedding

Choose down, synthetic comforters, flannel sheets or flannel pajamas for
keeping warm; this reduces the need for using stationary or portable space heaters particularly at night when temperatures become cooler. Stationary and portable space heaters including wood stoves account for 32 percent of home heating fires and 79 percent of home heating fire deaths.

Sturdy Ashtray

Large, deep, non-tip, sturdy ashtrays prevent smoking materials from igniting upholstered furniture, bedding or other nearby combustibles.

Portable Fire Extinguisher

Choose one that provides clear instruction on how to use. Recipients
should understand and learn the rules of safe extinguisher usage before a fire occurs.

Fireproof Oven Mitts

Fireproof oven mitts provide protection when handling cookware for the oven, stove, barbeque grill or other cooking equipment.

Large House Numbers

These enable firefighters to quickly locate the home, especially during the night, should an emergency occur.

Carbon Monoxide Alarms

Carbon monoxide is often referred to as the silent killer due to its colorless
and odorless gas; fuels such as natural gas, oil and wood that burn incomplete create a gas/carbon monoxide.

Stocking Stuffers

o Download fire safety information to include home escape plans and grids; this information can be obtained from NFPA’s website. For children visit, Sparky’s website.

o Batteries for smoke alarms and flashlights.

o Flashlights instead of candles for use as emergency lighting.

Other Great Gift Ideas

o Escape ladder for individuals residing in second or third story homes.

o Check for a recognized testing laboratory prior to purchasing.

o Emergency preparedness kit. Visit www.ready.gov to find out what you will need to create a kit.