Arson Prevention Tips and Fire Safety

Arson Prevention Tips and Fire Safety

Keep an Eye Out and Call It In: We Need the Community to Remain Vigilant

• Report any suspicious behavior or persons to the Police Department immediately by calling 9-1-1.

• Report any smoke or fires to the Fire Department immediately by calling 9-1-1. Don’t assume someone else will call it in.

• Contact the Somerville Police with any tips regarding any of the fires under investigation. No tip is too small:
  • Call our Arson Tip line 617-629-1TIP ( 617-629-1847 )

  • Text tips anonymously by texting to the number "TIP411" ( 847411 ).  Put "617spd" at the beginning of your text message. If your message requires an emergency response PLEASE DO NOT TEXT and instead call 9-1-1.

Specific actions to help prevent possible arson:

• Remove overstuffed furniture from porches

• Remove all highly flammable items from outdoor areas close to your home, such as but not limited to:
  • piles of leaves or bags of yard waste

  • stacks of papers or recycling bins with paper/boxes

  • flammable liquids such as lighter fluid, gas, paint thinner, and other volatile liquids

  • candles including mosquito candles

  • charcoal, or grills with charcoal or gas cans

  • laundry (don’t leave it hanging overnight)

  • rags or oily rags

  • highly stuffed seat cushions

• Keep your home secure:
  • Lock all doors and windows including basement doors and windows

  • Lock your garage door (or remove flammable items from garage if it can’t be locked)

• Keep lighting on at night:
  • Leave both your front and back porch lights on overnight

• Do not store trash or recycling under your porch:
  • Keep it farther from the house or inside until your trash day

Do Not Become a Victim of Any Fire: Tips to protect yourself, your family, and your home:

• Check batteries in smoke alarms and ensure they are operating.

• Have an escape plan and discuss it with your family or housemates: Plan two routes of escape from any room. Check the door handle of closed doors before opening. If it’s hot, use your alternate exit if possible.

• Pick a meeting spot safely away from the house.

• In the event of fire, exit immediately. Do not stop to collect any belongings. Consider putting valuable or irreplaceable items in a fire-proof box now so you will not be tempted to look for them when escaping.

• Know how to crawl away from a fire. When exiting, stay low because smoke rises. Smoke can weaken your ability to respond in an emergency or suffocate you.

• Educate your children. They are likely to hide in a closet or under a bed during a fire if they haven’t been told what to do.

• Do not reenter a burning building for any reason.
• KidsHealth.org has more very helpful tips for What to Do in a Fire on their website

Please be sure to share this important information with your neighbors, family and friends.