Residential building designs differ from one home to the next and this fact may present unique requirements relative to the placement of smoke detectors. As a basic guide you should place a smoke detector at the bottom and top of every stairway in your home. You should place a smoke detector outside each bedroom. You should also place a smoke detector in your basement and/or in the area where your heating system is located. If you have further questions about the placement of smoke detectors in your home, please call the Malden Fire Prevention Office (781) 397-7384. The most important point is to always maintain fresh batteries in your smoke detector. Our recommendation is to change your smoke detector batteries twice yearly when you change your clocks.

You should maintain a carbon monoxide detector on each level of habitation in your home and in the basement. If you have further questions about the placement of carbon monoxide detectors in your home, please call the Malden Fire Prevention Office (781) 397-7384. The most important point is to always maintain fresh batteries in your carbon monoxide detector. Our recommendation is to change your carbon monoxied detector batteries twice yearly when you change your clocks.

The Malden Fire Department recommends a multi-purpose fire extinguisher for the home. When purchasing a fire extinguisher check the label for a 1A:10B:C rating. Make sure to read and follow the fire extinguisher instructions carefully. If you have a small fire in your home make sure everyone in the house evacuates safely. If you use a fire extinguisher on a small fire in your home be sure to evacuate the building yourself after you extinguish the fire and dial 911 from outside the building to report the fire. It is always best to have the fire department ensure that the fire has been completely extinguished.

No, the Malden Fire Department does not have the facilities to refill fire extinguishers. In fact we use a private company to service and refill ours. We recommend you consult your telephone directory to locate a local company that will provide this service.

No, not in Malden. Although there are other communities in Massachusetts that issue permits to residents allowing them to burn outdoors, during certain times of the year and under certain conditions, Malden is not among them. In a city like Malden where wood-frame structures are built in close proximity to one another an outside fire, such as burning leaves in the fall, outdoor fireplaces or clay chimineas, present too much potential for propagation of fire to unprotected exposures and are illegal in Malden.

No, the members of the Malden Fire Department do not receive any special training or certification relative to the installation of child car safety seats. We recommend that you carefully read and follow the enclosed instructions, when purchasing and installing a car safety seat.

When there is fire in a building the heat, smoke and other products of combustion rise and become trapped in the upper most areas of the building, such as the attic. The temperatures in these areas can reach and exceed 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit. This creates an extremely dangerous atmosphere inside the building for firefighters attempting to enter the building with hose-lines to extinguish the fire. The most efficient way to ventilate a building is to open it at the highest point to release the heat and trapped gases. Breaking the windows is the quickest way to release heat and trapped gases in the fire area and provide an opening through which the advancing fire hose can push the remaining heat, smoke and other gases out of the building.

The City of Malden employ a full time Animal Control Officer who has an office at Malden Government Center, 200 Pleasant Street, Rm. 517. The telephone number is (781) 397-7141. The Animal Control Officer can also be reached through the Malden Police Department non-emergency number (781) 397-7171. If you know of an animal who is in danger due to becoming trapped or stuck in a precarious location, contact the Animal Control Officer who will assess the situation. If the Animal Control Officer feels the Fire Department has the resources to assist him he will request our assistance.

Fire station tours are a great way for student groups and other interested organizations to learn about the Malden Fire Department, meet Malden Firefighters and learn more about what we do. To schedule a tour of a Malden Fire Station please call the fire department’s main office (781) 397-7383 and let us know which fire station you would like to visit. You will be put in touch with the officer in charge of that firehouse and he or she will work with you to determine the best date and time for your visit.

Malden Firefighters are hired from a civil service list of eligible people who have passed the Municipal Firefighter Entrance Exam. A person’s order of placement on the list is determined by criteria established by the Massachusetts Human Resources Division. This exam is typically held every two years. The last exam was held on April 26, 2008. For more information you can contact H.R.D.'s 24-hour Examination Information Hotline (617) 878-9895, call toll free (outside of Boston within Mass.) at (800) 392-6178, press 3 or visit the Offices of the Human Resources Division located at One Ashburton Place, 3rd Floor, Room 301, Boston, MA 02108.