Fire Safety & Prevention

Smoke Detectors

Every dwelling in Shaker Heights, whether owner-occupied or a rental property, is required to have smoke detectors on every level of the home, including the basement and outside every sleeping area. We also recommend that a smoke detector be placed in every bedroom. Learn more.

Carbon Monoxide Detectors

Carbon monoxide (CO) is an odorless, colorless gas produced by fuel-burning appliances. Each year thousands of people become ill due to CO poisoning caused by improperly maintained appliances. CO poisoning may cause irreversible damage to one’s health and requires immediate medical attention.

Protect Your Family

To protect your family from CO poisoning, it is recommended that you install at least one detector near the sleeping areas in your home. If your CO detector goes off and you feel ill, you should immediately leave your home and seek emergency help. If you or other family members don’t feel ill, you should open windows and doors to ventilate the home, shut off all fuel-burning appliances and call the Fire Department to investigate the cause of the alarm. Never ignore the alarm!

Maintenance

Maintenance of a CO detector should be according to manufacturer’s instructions, and should include monthly testing.

Professional Systems

The homeowner or apartment tenant must determine the degree of fire protection he or she desires, balanced against the cost of that protection. Presently, the best available is a system installed and monitored by a reliable company operating under a permit issued by the City of Shaker Heights. This type of system will detect a fire and alert the occupants of the house and at the same time notify the Shaker Heights Fire Department or an alarm office maintained by the installing company, which, in turn, will call the Fire Department.

Home Inspections

The Fire Department offers free home safety inspections by appointment throughout the year. Using a “Home Fire Safety Checklist,” two firefighters inspect dwellings from top to bottom. Among the hazards they look for are faulty or inadequate electrical wiring, improper storage of paints, thinners and other combustible liquids, and unsafe heating and cooking areas.

The Home Inspection Program, which focuses on preventive measures, provides residents with expertise on how to make their homes fire-safe. Firefighters can also provide information about smoke detectors and home escape plans, as well as hazards in homes and garages.

Contact Us

To make an appointment for a home inspection, call the Fire Prevention Bureau, 216-491-1215, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays.

Fire Safety

Fire is the third leading cause of accidental death in the United States. Residential occupancies account for most fire fatalities, and most deaths occur at night during the sleeping hours. Most fire casualties are the victims of smoke and gas inhalation, rather than burns.

To provide reasonable fire safety for persons in family living units, the Shaker Heights Fire Department recommends a three-point program:

• Minimize fire hazards
• Provide a fire warning system (smoke detectors)
• Have – and practice – a home fire escape plan