Safety Information

Fire Safety Pamphlets

The Bowling Green Fire Division has numerous pamphlets on fire safety at the Station 2, located at 552 E Court Street.

Carbon Monoxide Detectors & Smoke Alarms

Ohio Fire Code requirement effective January 1, 2019: all new and existing "residential" occupancies are required to have carbon monoxide alarms if they have a fuel burning appliance such as a stove, furnace, fire place, or hot water heater. "All electric" occupancies are not required to have carbon monoxide detectors unless they have an attached garage. Battery operated carbon monoxide alarms are a suitable alternative to hardwired alarms in retrofit applications. Generally, carbon monoxide alarms should be installed in each bedroom. For additional information, view Technical Bulletin 18-001: Carbon Monoxide Detectors in New and Existing Buildings (PDF).

Smoke alarms alert occupants to fires and help give them time to escape. According to the National Fire Prevention Association (NFPA), about 3 in every 5 residential fire deaths occur in homes that either do not have a smoke alarm, or do not have one that works. For information on fire safety, installing and testing smoke alarms, and other home safety information visit the Home Safety Council website.

Space Heater Safety Tips

When the cold weather arrives, so too does the portable heating equipment, pulled out of the garage or closet and fired up to keep us warm. While portable heaters can help ward off the chilly nights, they also pose a serious fire danger.

Heating equipment is a leading cause of fires in U.S. homes. According to the NFPA, fire departments responded to approximately 52,000 fires involving heating equipment each year. Further, these fires resulted in annual losses of 490 civilian deaths and 1,400 civilian injuries.

So, how can we stay warm without creating a fire hazard? The NFPA offers these tips for safe space heater use:

• Purchase a heater with the seal of a qualified testing laboratory.
• Keep the heater at least 3 feet away from anything that can burn, including people.
• Choose a heater with a thermostat and overheat protection.
• Place the heater on a solid, flat surface.
• Make sure your heater has an auto shut-off to turn the heater off if it tips over.
• Keep space heaters out of the way of foot traffic.
• Never block an exit.
• Keep children away from the space heater.
• Plug the heater directly into the wall outlet.
• Never use an extension cord.
• Space heaters should be turned off and unplugged when you leave the room or go to bed.
• If your space heater catches fire, call 911 immediately. If possible, close the door to the room where the space heater is located before exiting the building.

Poison Prevention

Could you tell the difference if two similar items were sitting side-by-side on a table? Learn more by reviewing our helpful Poison Prevention Guide (PDF).