What should be in a home safety toolkit?

A home safety toolkit covers the most common immediate-response needs: a pipe wrench for the water shutoff, work gloves, a utility knife, duct tape, a pry bar, heavy-duty plastic sheeting, and a pair of adjustable pliers. These are not specialty emergency items — they are the tools that handle the most common household emergency tasks: stopping a water leak, covering a broken window, managing storm debris.

What is a shelter-in-place kit?

A shelter-in-place kit is a set of supplies kept in a designated interior room for use when authorities advise staying home during a hazmat release, air quality event, or severe weather. Core contents: pre-cut plastic sheeting and duct tape for sealing the room, a battery-powered or hand-crank radio, water and snacks for at least 24 hours, a charged power bank, a flashlight, any medications household members need regularly, and a copy of the household emergency contacts.

What is the difference between a smoke alarm and a carbon monoxide detector?

A smoke alarm detects combustion particles in the air from a fire. A carbon monoxide detector detects CO gas, which is colorless and odorless and is produced by fuel-burning appliances, generators, and vehicles. The two detectors address completely different hazards and neither substitutes for the other. Combination smoke-CO units are available and address both, but verify that both functions meet current UL certification standards before purchasing.

Home Safety Kits and Supplies — New World Survival

The right framing

These are not emergency purchases. They are maintenance.

A smoke alarm, a fire extinguisher, and a flashlight with working batteries are the kind of thing every home should have regardless of any interest in preparedness. They belong in the same category as a working smoke detector and a first aid kit: household maintenance, not emergency hoarding.

The guides in this section are organized by function rather than by emergency type. The home safety toolkit handles the immediate physical responses. Emergency lighting handles the first hours of any outage. Backup power handles longer duration. The shelter-in-place kit handles the specific scenario of staying home during a hazardous outdoor event. Each category has clear parameters for what belongs in it and what belongs elsewhere.

Where gear requires a detailed review page, this section links to it. Where a product category is better covered under another domain (generator selection is energy, not shelter; water filters are water, not shelter), this section cross-links rather than duplicates.

What this section covers

The home safety toolkit: the tools for immediate physical response
Emergency lighting: flashlights, lanterns, and headlamps
Backup power for the home: what the shelter section adds to the energy section
Home security gear: locks, lighting, and alarms with honest cost notes
Fire and utility safety supplies: extinguishers, alarms, CO detectors
Shelter-in-place kit: the supplies for staying home during a hazmat or air event
Renter-portable gear: the options that work without modifying the building

Guides in this section

Seven gear categories. Each with a clear scope.

Home safety toolkit

The tools for immediate physical response: pipe wrench, work gloves, utility knife, pry bar, plastic sheeting, duct tape. What each item handles and why it belongs in this kit rather than a general toolkit.

Read the guide →

Emergency lighting

Flashlights, headlamps, and lanterns for power outages. Lumen output for different tasks, battery type trade-offs, and how many lights a household actually needs versus how many they tend to buy.

Guide coming

Backup power for shelter

Which home systems matter most during an outage, how to prioritize power allocation, and the shelter-specific frame for generator and battery selection. Links to the Energy section for selection depth.

Guide coming

Home security gear

The physical hardware worth buying: deadbolt upgrades, door reinforcement kits, motion-activated lighting, alarm systems, and doorbell cameras. Grade ratings, honest cost ranges, and what actually makes a difference.

Guide coming

Fire and utility safety gear

Smoke alarms, CO detectors, fire extinguishers, and escape ladders. UL certification standards, placement requirements, and the maintenance schedule that keeps them functional when they are needed.

Guide coming

Shelter-in-place kit

The supplies kept in the designated shelter room: plastic sheeting, duct tape, water, radio, power bank, medications, and comfort items. What to pre-cut, what to pre-stage, and how long the kit needs to sustain the household.

Guide coming

Renter-portable gear

Security and safety options that work without drilling, permits, or landlord approval. Portable door braces, window alarms, battery-operated detectors, and the approach that maximizes safety without permanent modifications.

Guide coming

The floor

What every home needs regardless of anything else.

Before any of the category-specific guides, these five items are the minimum for any occupied home. Most are inexpensive. All are maintenance, not preparation.

Working smoke alarms

Inside every bedroom, outside every sleeping area, and on every level. NFPA 72 is the standard. Test monthly. Replace batteries annually or use 10-year sealed models. Interconnected alarms, where triggering one sounds all, are strongly recommended.

Cost: $15 to $50 each

CO detector

Required wherever fuel-burning appliances, attached garages, or generators are part of the home. CO is odorless. The only warning is the detector. On every level with sleeping areas. Combination smoke-CO units available from manufacturers with UL 2034 certification for the CO function.

Cost: $20 to $60 each

ABC fire extinguisher

At minimum in the kitchen, and ideally on each floor. ABC rating covers wood, paper, flammable liquids, and electrical. Know how to use it: pull, aim, squeeze, sweep. A fire extinguisher is for small, contained fires while the path to exit is still clear. When in doubt, get out.

Cost: $25 to $70 each

At least one working flashlight

Every occupied bedroom should have a flashlight within reach. At the most basic level this is a $10 LED flashlight with a working battery kept in the nightstand. During a nighttime fire alarm, having a light immediately is worth the $10. Test it quarterly.

Cost: $10 to $40 each

Basic first aid kit

Bandages, gauze, adhesive tape, antiseptic wipes, gloves, tweezers, and a first aid manual. The American Red Cross First Aid/CPR course covers how to use everything in it. The kit handles the most common household injuries and the first steps of any larger medical situation until professional help arrives.

Cost: $25 to $80 assembled; or build your own

These five items are the starting point, not the destination. The guides in this section build from here based on your household's specific situation and risks.

Read the full toolkit guide →

Connected sections

Gear lives here. Depth lives there.

Generator selection, battery systems, and backup power sizing are Energy domain content. Water filters and storage containers are Water domain content. This section covers the shelter-specific framing and links to the depth.

Generators

Selecting, sizing, and safely operating a generator. CO placement rules, transfer switches, and fuel management.

Battery Systems

Portable power stations, lithium battery banks, and whole-home battery systems. What each tier provides and what it costs.

Emergency Lighting

The Energy section's detailed guide to lighting options for outages. Lanterns, headlamps, and whole-home lighting backup.

Fire and Utility Safety

The full fire safety section: alarm placement standards, escape planning, fire extinguisher use, and CO prevention.

Home Security

Locks, lighting, cameras, alarms, and daily habits. The full security section covering layered deterrence.

Shelter & Home Security

Back to the full section. Eight content areas covering safety, security, and resilience for every home.