Fire Prevention

Fire Safety in Winter Months

Keep Fire Safety in mind when heating your home in the winter months ahead. December January and February are the leading months for home heating fires. Overall, heating equipment is the second leading cause of US home fires and home fire deaths. View fire protection tips.

Safety Tips & Recalls

Please visit the following sites regarding product information, safety tips and recalls.

About the Fire Prevention Bureau

The Fire Prevention Bureau (FPB) is responsible for the enforcement of the Fire Prevention Maintenance Codes in the Village of Northbrook and in the Northbrook Rural Fire Protection District. The Bureau is responsible for providing public education and coordinating special events.

The Fire Prevention Bureau investigates all suspicious fires and fires with significant loss to determine the cause and origin. The leading cause of fire continues to be careless use of smoking materials, other open flame devices, and electrical malfunctions.

Fire Safety Inspections

Fire Inspectors conduct Fire Life Safety Inspections of all commercial and multi-family residential properties (approximately 3,600) to ensure compliance with fire prevention codes and practices. The Division continues to work with community businesses with fire pre-plan and building evacuation procedures.

Smoke Alarms

In the event of a fire, properly installed and maintained smoke alarms will provide an early warning alarm to your household. This alarm could save your own life and those of your loved ones by providing the chance to escape. 

Updated Smoke Alarm Law Effective January 1, 2023

In 2017, the Illinois Fire Safety Alliance worked with the General Assembly to pass a law that will require Illinois residents to replace their old smoke alarms with the type that has a long-term, 10-year sealed battery beginning Jan. 1, 2023. This would apply to residents that are still using alarms with removable batteries or alarms that are not hardwired. 

What is the Updated Illinois Smoke Alarm Law? 

  • Since 1988, all dwellings in Illinois have been required to have smoke alarms. 
  • In 2017, Public Act 100-0200 was passed to update the Illinois Smoke Detector Act to reflect advances in alarm technology. 
  • As of Jan. 1, 2023, any new smoke alarms being installed within a single or muti-family home are required to be featured with a 10-year sealed battery. 
  • Smoke alarms in single or multi-family homes prior to January 1, 2023 may remain in place until they exceed 10 years from their manufactured date, fail to respond to operability tests, or otherwise malfunction.  

Exemptions:

  • Homes built after 1988 that already have hardwired smoke alarms. 
  • Homes with wireless integrated alarms that use low-power radio frequency communications, Wi-Fi, or other Wireless Local Area Networking capability. 

To view the Illinois law in its entirety, visit www.ifsa.org/smoke-alarm-law.

Fire Awareness Education

Fire awareness public education continues to be a priority of the Division of Fire Prevention today. An average of 500 people each year, mostly children, have received vital information on fire safety including the use of the Stop, Drop, and Roll method of extinguishing clothing fires, mitigating fire and hot liquid burns, and home fire safety inspections. Staff continues to provide liaison and support functions for Earth Day, Northbrook Days, Safety Day, Fire Prevention Week and the 4th of July.