Part of the vital safety work done by local fire departments includes educating residents about the importance of alarms for detecting carbon monoxide and smoke. With the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Conference & Expo upcoming June 22-24 in Las Vegas, the Portable Generator Manufacturers’ Association (PGMA) is reminding fire prevention professionals and local communities of its Take It Outside Fire Department Toolkit. The online resource is designed to complement the efforts of local fire departments in raising awareness about CO protection. 

Many local communities will have times when households turn to portable generators, whether during electrical outages, storms, wildfires, or public-safety shutoffs. PGMA created a kit of plug-and-play educational materials that departments can easily fold into their existing outreach.

The Take It Outside Fire Department Toolkit includes safety and public service announcement videos, fact sheets on power outage preparedness and campground safety, shareable social media content, and Safety Town kids’ educational materials. It can be accessed at https://www.takeyourgeneratoroutside.com/safety-resources/fire-department-safety-toolkit/.

When fire crews respond, they routinely find homes and businesses running generators near doors, windows, or vents — conditions that can create CO and fire hazards. The Take It Outside Toolkit reinforces CO and smoke detector messaging with clear, practical guidance on safe placement, ventilation, and operation of portable generators.

PGMA provides these and other safety resources specifically designed to help generator users operate responsibly and confidently. Everything can be accessed at https://www.takeyourgeneratoroutside.com/.