How to Make a Home Fire Escape Plan

Do you and your family know what to do if a fire breaks out in your home? Fire departments strongly recommend you have a comprehensive fire escape plan in place to ensure the safety of yourself and your loved ones. It can make all the difference in the event of an emergency. Follow these tips to create your own home fire escape plan.

Discuss ideal escape routes with your family

When it comes to fires in the home, the most important thing is making sure everyone can get out of the property safely. Start the process of creating your home fire escape plan by walking through your home with all occupants and discussing what exits and escape routes are best. It’s recommended that you make sure there are two ways out of every room in case fire or smoke is blocking the primary exit.

If you live in a two-story house, determine how you’ll escape from the upper floor and whether you’ll need a fire escape ladder. For families with young children, it’s often helpful to draw a diagram of escape routes—it’s a simple way to reinforce the information and make sure everyone knows where to go in case of emergency.

Designate a meeting place

Once you’ve planned a solid escape route, designate an outside meeting place where everyone can meet once they’re out of the house. This could be a neighbor’s house, the mailbox, a nearby stop sign or anywhere else that’s a safe distance from the home.

Designate a helper

If you have children, older adults or anyone with mobility limitations residing in your home, you need to determine who will help them escape the home during an emergency. You could also consider designating someone to be responsible for removing pets whenever possible.

Perform a practice run

Once you’ve settled on a fire escape plan for your home, it’s time to put your ideas into practice to ensure everyone feels confident if a house fire occurs. It’s best to practice your escape plan at least once a year, and you should always practice at night, which is when the most fatal home fires start. When practicing at night, encourage your family to feel their way out of the house with their eyes closed—it could be a big help in case of a power outage or thick smoke.

Keep your fire safety equipment up to date

Having the right fire safety equipment on hand can make a huge difference in your family’s ability to escape from a fire at home. Every home should be equipped with working smoke detectors, and it’s wise to have fire extinguishers in strategic locations like in the kitchen and on every floor of your home.

It never hurts to be prepared for any emergency, and developing a home fire escape plan is a great step in making sure every member of the family knows what to do and where to go in case a fire breaks out. Contact Anchor Safety Inc. to learn more about fire safety tips for your home.

Categorised in: Fire Safety and Escape Plans

This post was written by Writer