SPFD's 'Safe Haven Program' Offers Free Fire Safety Home Inspections Ahead Of Winter

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – With the changing of seasons, firefighters are reminding homeowners to make sure they're ready for the winter.

The St. Paul Fire Department offers a Safe Haven program. They'll inspect homes to make sure they're free of any fire hazards that can come along with the cold.

WCCO's Kate Raddatz shares what you should do to make sure your home is safe.

These St. Paul Firefighters have a busy day scheduled -- not responding to fires, for now. They're making house calls to make sure homes are up to par for winter.

"People are in their homes more in the winter and they turn on their furnaces and hot water heaters so when you turn on your furnace on you have the risk for carbon monoxide poisoning," explained St. Paul Fire Deputy Chief Gerone Hamilton.

St. Paul firefighters will replace carbon monoxide and smoke detectors for free as part of the Safe Haven program. But the safety recommendations, shown in a new video released by the department, apply to everyone.

First, firefighters recommend you have a working smoke detector on each level of the house and in every bedroom. For carbon monoxide detectors, keep them close to bedrooms where people sleep.

"Ten feet from bedrooms, so usually it would be in the hallway of your sleeping quarters," Deputy Chief Hamilton said.

Firefighters also recommend having a stovetop fire extinguisher if you have a range top stove.

And if you plan on using a portable heat source this winter, Deputy Chief Hamilton says you should keep them three feet away from anything flammable. Also turn them off when you go to sleep and don't plug them into power strips.

"Common sense is the best approach to take for fire safety," explained

Firefighters recommend that you check your smoke alarms every month. And you should replace the batteries in them once a year unless you have a ten-year battery-operated smoke alarm.

The Safe Haven program is available for families in homes, townhomes and condos in St. Paul.

Deputy Chief Hamilton says if you live in another city and need a smoke detector, you can also check with your local fire department or the Red Cross.