Safety / Escape Planning

Please see our helpful hints and important information to keep you safe!  

If there are ever questions or concerns please contact the Berkeley Fire Department for assistance 708-234-2645

Your Building Address

Make it Easy to Find Your House in an Emergency

The Village of Berkeley Fire Department asks that all residents mark their homes with the correct street address in a highly visible area. Responding emergency personnel can often times see addresses that are no less than 4" tall from the street, so be sure that those numbers are in contrasting colors to the backgrounds they are posted on for the highest degree of visibility. By making sure the address of the home can be found in an urgent situation, residents increase the likelihood that the call for help can be answered quickly.

Outdoor Grills

As the days get longer and the snow starts to melt thoughts of being in our yards enjoying warmer evenings with family and friends are on our minds. Sounds fantastic! Now let us do it in a safe manor.
Grills:
The use of fire is unavoidable when preparing the perfect meal on the grill; therefore, there is inherent risk present whenever we have our grills lit and ready for action. Home fires occur due to grilling each year in an average of 900 residences. These tips will help avoid this from occurring at your home.
  • Be sure to inspect all fittings on your propane grill. This should include the tank that may be from last grilling season to all connections back to the grill itself. Be sure to remove all debris to avoid flare-ups and fires that may take place while you are not nearby.
  • Charcoal Grills should be lit using approved methods and starter fluids only. The use of fossil fuels such as gasoline are not approved accelerates.
  • Use the grill in an open, outdoor area only; do not relocate the grill to the garage because it is raining today, it is not worth the risk of a potential garage fire and with attached garages, now you are risking your house as well. 

Outdoor Fire Pits

Outdoor Fire Pits:
The use of fire pits bring their own concerns when not treated with respect. Never have a fire pit close to the house or garage and never sit so close to the fire pit that if one slips forward they do not fall into fire.
  • Never allow children to be around a fire pit without responsible adults present.
  • Do not throw lawn waste or paper into the fire pit, embers may float away and ignite fires elsewhere.
  • Never throw buckets of water on fires unless there is an emergency. Instead, spread out glowing embers and allow cooling. This will prevent thick clouds of smoke that may be a repository issue for those nearby or yourself.