What's included in a life safety inspection?

What is included in a life safety inspection?

The final step in becoming licensed to foster or adopt is a home study, conducted by the Office of Licensing and Regulations for licensing or Agency Specialist for Adoption Certification. It’s a final check from an unbiased, third party to ensure your home is safe and prepared for possible emergencies.

The entire inspection only takes about 30 minutes to an hour. To ensure safety the inspector will check for:

• Medications locked up. This can be as simple as keeping your medications in a locked toolbox or adding a lock to a cabinet.
• Chemicals out of reach. Cleaning chemicals should be kept in a high cabinet. Bleach must be in a locked cabinet.
• Firearms locked up. Ammunition must also be separate from the firearms.
• Working smoke alarms in each room and a carbon monoxide alarm near the garage.
• Fire extinguisher in the home.
• Pool fence regulations are met.
• Water temperature in the home is warm enough for comfort but not hot enough to burn. And the water heater is cleared from all fire hazards.
• Overall cleanliness of the home including the front and back yard.

To help prepare for an emergency the inspector will look for:

• A fully-stocked first-aid kit.
• A written emergency plan with a map of the home and emergency exits.
• A list of emergency contacts and phone numbers.

During the process your licensing specialist is your best resource. They’ll walk you through preparing for the inspection by completing a pre-inspection of your home so when the time comes you can relax, knowing it’s just one more step along the way.

The process starts with an agency meet and greet.

Now is a great time to start your foster care journey! Email lisa.simmons@childcrisisaz.org or call 480-321-8944 for more information.