This morning I called the Austin Fire Department as well as the Health Department to schedule a fire safety check and an environmental safety check.  These inspections are required as part of our home study.  Our social worker sent us a list of things the inspectors will be looking for, necessary things like "safe storage of flammable liquids" and "availability of a fire extinguisher in the kitchen."  However, there were some seemingly random things like "trash is burned in an area away from the children" and "each child has a clean towel available at all times, or paper towels."

Anyway, I'm happy to report that someone from the fire department will come out on Thursday.  I don't know what time because they'll call that morning and let me know when they'd like to show up - oh, and the $50 fee can be paid directly to the inspector.

I left a message with the Health Department.  I hope to hear back from them this week and schedule an appointment next week.  I'm told, by other adoptive families, that their fee is $60 and they have to receive the check before an appointment can be made.  

Hoops - we're jumping through them!

It took me over an hour this morning to find the numbers and then get a live person on the phone.  I got the man at the fire department to giggle when I asked a clarifying question regarding an item on the fire safety check.  Question 23 on the list states "there is a method available to alert family to fire (alarm, bell etc)."  Well, if all they want is smoke detectors they should say so.  I wanted to clarify and asked, "the method that would work best for us to alert each other of fire would be to yell...we live in a small apartment...do I really have to have some special bell I ring when there's a fire...wouldn't it be faster for me to simply yell 'FIRE'?"

[giggle]..."I think a smoke detector would do the job nicely, you have at least two of them correct?"

[slightly embarrased]..."Oh...yeah, we have two."