Do You Have A Fire Escape Plan For Your Family?

In our busy lives, it's easy to take for granted just how fast two minutes actually are. Once a fire alarm sounds, the NFPA says that you only have two minutes to evacuate a burning house.

So, when it comes to fire safety, it's always a good idea to be prepared. One of the best ways to make sure your family is prepared in the event of a home fire is to have a family fire escape plan. If you're not sure how to create a fire escape plan, here are a few easy steps to both create and then execute your plan.

1. PREPARE

The most important component to any fire escape plan is a set of working smoke detectors. You've got to have an early warning system to alert family members of a fire. Test the alarms periodically to make sure they're working by pushing the TEST button. Also, change the batteries out once a year. Set an alarm to remind you every Fire Prevention Week, the second week in October, to change the batteries. This will also be a great reminder to practice your family's fire escape plan.

CLICK HERE to watch a video on replacing the batteries in your smoke detectors.

Finally, if your smoke alarms are more than ten years old, are broken, missing, or otherwise malfunctioning, make sure to replace them right away.

CLICK HERE to see how to change your smoke detectors yourself.

2. PLAN

Draw a map of your home and be sure to include all windows and doors. Once your map is completed, make lines indicating two ways out of every room. As you're planning out your escape routes, walk through those rooms to be sure doors and windows aren't blocked. Try opening and closing all windows to make sure they're functioning properly. And finally, as you're mapping out your escape plan, choose a meeting place in front of your home that everyone recognizes and can gather.

CLICK HERE to download our Fire Safety Booklet that includes a page to make your own fire escape plan.

3. PRACTICE

Once your family has mapped out your escape plan and checked the routes, it's time to practice. Make sure all occupants are in attendance so everyone understands the plan. Next, push the TEST button to sound the smoke alarm so occupants are familiar with the way it sounds and what it means when it goes off. Once the alarm sounds, have everyone practice exiting the home and heading straight to the meeting place.

Discuss with your family the importance of getting outside IMMEDIATELY once the alarm sounds. Two minutes is only enough time to find an exit and GET OUT. Remind them not to look for items to take with them or to try and look for family members in the house. They need to move directly outside and to the meeting place. Moving quickly could save lives.

fire escape plan - practice it with your family

When performing a family fire drill:

Have family members begin in separate rooms of the house.
Activate the smoke detector by pushing the TEST button. This way, everyone knows what the sound is and what it means.
Have children make sure to touch doorknobs and doors to see if they’re warm. If the door is warm, DO NOT open the door!
Make sure no one takes anything with them, looks for anything, or goes back into the house. (Parents: consider a fireproof safe to keep all important documents and keepsakes in so you don’t have to worry about these.)
Have everyone move quickly out of the house.
Close all doors behind you as you exit.
Gather at the family meeting place.
Practice the drill as many times as you need to in order to get it under two minutes.
Once you have a plan, practice it at least once a year.

Check out our other Fire Prevention blog posts & videos!