Tips to help you creating an escape plan
- Pull together everyone in your household to create a plan. Walk through your home and inspect all possible exits and escape routes. If you have children in your home, consider drawing a floor plan of your home, marking two ways out of each room, including windows and doors. Also note the location of each smoke alarm.
- Make sure you have at least one smoke alarm on every level of your home and replace the batteries twice a year.
- Everyone in your household should understand the escape plan. When you walk through your plan, check to make sure the escape routes are clear and doors and windows can be opened easily.
- Choose an outside meeting place (i.e., neighbor’s house, a light post, mailbox or stop sign) a safe distance in front of your home where everyone can meet after they’ve escaped. Make sure to mark the location of the meeting place on your escape plan.
- Go outside to see if your street number is clearly visible from the road. If not, paint it on the curb or install house numbers to ensure that responding emergency personnel can find your home.
- If there are infants, older adults or family members with mobility limitations, make sure that someone is assigned to assist them in the fire drill and in the event of an emergency. Assign a backup person too, in case the designee is not home during the emergency.
- Be fully prepared for a real fire: When a smoke alarm sounds, get out immediately.
- Once you’re out, stay out! Under no circumstances should you ever go back into a burning building. If someone is missing, inform the fire department dispatcher when you call. Firefighters have the skills and equipment to perform rescues.
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