Before calamity strikes, do you know where the gas shutoff valve is? Are you in the dark when you need to locate your breaker box or even the fire extinguisher? As a tenant, you often don’t have any idea where various shutoff equipment is located, and you may not have the tools to do the job. Knowing how and where to shut off water, gas and electricity are basic abilities every tenant should possess. That problem can be handily solved by making a checklist and requesting the landlord provide shutoff information.

In addition, know where to call in case of an electrical outage, gas leak, fire or other natural disaster, both to report and get updates. Most utility companies’ phone numbers are found on the utility bill itself.

What’s first on the safety to-do list? Fire safety — which starts with prevention. Functioning smoke alarms in at least every bedroom and hallways are a must and are usually required by code. Checking smoke alarms is easy and should be done monthly. Use the eraser end of a pencil for hard-to-reach buttons. Some smoke alarms are battery-operated while others are “hard wired” into an electrical source. Newer alarms have both sources to draw on. Whichever combination is used, it’s easy to check and request that the alarm be repaired or replaced if it fails the simple “button push” test.

No smoke alarms? If local codes require it, request alarms be installed by your landlord. Point out they protect their property as well as yours. Keep fire extinguishers handy and show all family members where they are kept. Inexpensive and easy to use, extinguishers are readily available at any hardware store.

More fire safety information can be found at www.firesafety.gov, which according to the site is a “one-stop information resource on the Internet for residential fire safety and prevention information.” Information is courtesy of the federal government. An estimated 4,000 people a year die in home fires in the United States; the agency’s goal is to educate and eliminate residential fire tragedies.

Other fire hazards? According to the American Natural Gas Association, a total of 60 million residential, commercial and industrial customers receive natural gas in the United States. That’s a lot of gas lines, and all it takes is a spark to start a disaster; even a pinhole leak can cause a place to blow in seconds.

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