Fire Escape Plans
Planning is the key to a fast and safe exit from a fire.
Once your smoke alarm has been activated you may have ways out of each room; especially the sleeping areas. If you live in a two-story house, you may want to invest in a fire safety ladder, available at most hardware stores.
Remember to set up a meeting place outside your home for everyone to report to after they have gotten out (a tree, basketball goal, the mailbox, etc.).
Five steps for planning a safe escape:
- Draw a floor plan of your home
- Use arrows to show two ways out of each room
- Designate a safe meeting place outside
- Designate a family member to call 911
- Review the plan with your family on a regular basis
Practice, Practice, Practice!
In a real fire you don't have time to think about what you should do. Fire drills will make the steps of a safe escape second nature. Hold practice drills at night when most fires occur, and hold surprise drills to make sure your family responds quickly.
Check out the pictures below to learn how to create your escape plan today! Click here to download a template to draw your home fire plan(PDF, 375KB).