Prevention

Steps to Safeguard Your Home and Family

Taking some simple steps can make a big difference in ensuring your safety and the safety of your loved ones. The most important thing you can do as a homeowner is to detect a problem early with the use of smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.    

Smoke detectors alert you to the presence of smoke, which provide you the time you need to evacuate and leave the building before a fire blocks your escape. Smoke detectors need to be tested regularly and replaced if they do not function properly.  

Carbon Monoxide is the one of the most toxic substances you'll come into contact with in your daily life - in your home, at work, garage, car, motor home or boat.  If there appliances in your home that burn fossil fuels, like a gas furnace, stove, fireplace or gas water heater, we urge you to install a carbon monoxide detector. A detector will alert you to the presence of carbon monoxide before an average healthy adult begins to experience symptoms, providing you with time to evacuate and call for help.  

It is important to remember that the sensors in carbon monoxide detectors degrade over time. If you have carbon monoxide detector in your home, please consult the manufacturer to determine when your detector should be replaced.

Smoke detectors do not function as carbon monoxide detectors, and carbon monoxide detectors do not function as smoke detectors. You need both types of detectors in your home!

Please call our Fire Prevention Office if you have any questions about smoke or carbon monoxide detectors.

Knox Box Program for Commercial and Residential Properties

Within the Eagle River Fire Protection District, some properties require the installation of Knox Boxes at both Commercial and Residential properties. The Knox Box is a secure box that is located on the outside of your property at the closest entry point. This provides the Fire Department with non-destructive emergency access to your property at any time. Where Knox Boxes are not required, we still encourage their installation.

The Fire Department is the only entity that has a key for these Knox Boxes, and would only access a Knox Box in the event of a fire or medical emergency.

Remember, anytime that the locks are changed to your property we need to be contacted so that we can change the keys in the Knox Box.

For Knox Box information and order forms, or to schedule a key installation, please contact Gail McFarland at (970) 748-4739 or gmcfarland@erfpd.org.

Wildfire Mitigation

For information on Wildfire Mitigation for your home, please visit the Eagle County web site. This site contains information about wildfire mitigation tactics, approved wildfire regulations, a wildfire hazard map, information about open burning, and contact information for Eric Lovegren, who is the Wildfire Mitigation Specialist for Eagle County.