Pack 6 of 8 · Ride out weeks
Pack 6: Guard the Home
Fire, CO, and smoke detection plus shut-off and document safety
~$130
Detect fire, gas, and carbon monoxide, shut off gas safely, and keep your documents survivable — the home-protection layer.
Learn the skill: Earthquake Gas Shutoff: When to Turn Off Gas and How to Do It · The Grab-and-Go Document Binder: IDs, Insurance, and Deeds Ready to Carry (2026)
This pack protects the house itself and what you need to rebuild after. It assumes you already drink, bleed-stop, see, hear, and feed the household — now you secure the structure.
Home fire extinguisher handles fire. A multipurpose ABC extinguisher for the kitchen and the exits: rated 1-A:10-B:C, it covers wood, liquid, and electrical fires.
Carbon monoxide alarm adds a dedicated CO alarm for the kitchen level or near any fuel-burning appliance. Two different CO sensors in different spots is better than one.
Smoke alarm (10-year battery) is the slim one: photoelectric sensing tuned for smoldering fires, a sealed battery that lasts ten years, and a profile half the thickness of a standard alarm.
Gas shut-off wrench turns the gas valve a quarter turn when you smell gas after a quake or storm. Keep it zip-tied to the meter, not in a drawer.
Fireproof document box keeps the binder safe. Fire-resistant for 30 minutes at 1550 degrees, enough to survive most evacuations and give you the documents you will need for insurance and re-entry.
Budget note: alarms first, then the wrench and safe together. Replace alarm batteries on the same day you test the radio from Pack 4.
Zero-dollar move tonight: walk the wrench out to the meter, test-fit it on the valve, and zip-tie it there so it is waiting instead of lost in a drawer.
Next step: Pack 7 — Power On.
What is in this pack
Home Safety
- Home fire extinguisher
First Alert HOME1 multipurpose ABC extinguisher: UL rated 1-A:10-B:C, covers wood, liquid, and electrical fires. Keep one by the kitchen and the exits.
- Carbon monoxide alarm
Battery-powered Kidde CO alarm: 85 dB alert, electrochemical sensor, event memory, runs through a power outage on two included AAs. Install one on every floor.
- Smoke alarm (10-year battery)
First Alert SM210 slim photoelectric smoke alarm: a 10-year sealed battery, Precision Detection to reduce cooking false alarms, and a half-thickness profile.
- Gas shut-off wrench
Single-piece steel gas shut-off wrench sized for standard 1/4-turn gas valves. Keeps next to the meter for the 10 seconds that matter after a quake — no multi-tool fumbling.
Documents & Money
- Fireproof document box
UL-classified 0.18 cu ft fireproof box with key lock — protects passports, cash, deeds, and documents to 1550°F for 30 minutes.