May is Building Safety Month

The City of Coeur d’Alene Building Department is recognizing May as Building Safety Month which is an international campaign to raise awareness about building safety.

Welcome to Week 1 of Building Safety Month 2023! As part of the "Building Safety is Personal" theme, this week we're highlighting "Building Safety Starts at Home" and how building safety impacts our everyday life . Topics covered this week are fire safety tips, home maintenance best practices, and ways to be more sustainable to ensure a cleaner and greener tomorrow.

What are some ways building safety impacts you at home? Join the Building Safety Month conversation – tag the International Code Council on social media, and use #BuildingSafety365 to help spread the word!

Fire Safety at Home

Modern homes and buildings incorporate the latest building codes and are designed to minimize the possibility and effects of fire and other risks. While building safety professionals help maintain this system, there are things you can do at home to stay safe and help reduce the risk of fire. If a fire does break out, it's also critical to know how to make a safe exit – it takes less than 30-seconds for a small flame to burn out of control and turn into a major fire.

The following are important fire safety tips to protect your home and family:

• Place a smoke alarm on every level of your home, outside each sleeping area, and inside every bedroom.
• Test each smoke alarm regularly. Keep batteries fresh by replacing them annually.
• Create an escape plan so everyone knows how to get out fast in case of a fire. Pick a place outside of the home  where everyone will meet.
• Portable heaters need their space. Keep anything that can burn at least three (3’) feet away.
• Keep all items that can burn away from your home.  Clean leaves from your gutters and clear dead leaves and branches from shrubs and trees.

Click the link below for 10 important tips for Fire Safety and Awareness.

https://www.iccsafe.org/wp-content/uploads/23-22458_BSM_2023_10_Fire_Safety_Tips_FLR_FINAL.pdf