Family Fire Safety Escape Plan

The Plan

     A fire escape plan for your home is a good thing to have when dealing with an emergency.  As a family, discuss various emergencies and develop plans for how the family members are to deal with them.  Survival rates increase in homes with emergency plans.  A home evacuation plan should contain at least the following:

Procedures for actions taken during an emergency.

An evacuation plan showing alternate escape routes.

An assembly point.

Draw a floor plan of your home.  Include the following:

· A primary and secondary exit route from each room.  The primary route should be directly to the outside such as through a window.

· The location of any fire equipment.

· Mark the area where everyone is to meet once they are outside of the house.

· Mark the location of utility shut-off switches and valves.

Physically check the exit routes to be sure that anyone, who will need to use them, can use them.  This will clarify the need for things like escape ladders, ramps, security grill release mechanisms for protected doors and window, and the availability of keys for double key locks.

Go over the plan with the entire family.

· Make sure that everyone understands that they are not to go back into the house or apartment once they are out.  Go to the meeting area and wait.

· Discuss how to feel the door if it is closed and not to open it if it is hot.

· Talk about the danger of smoke and heat and the importance of staying low.

· Discuss what to do in the event that they become trapped.

Be sure that everyone knows what the smoke detector and sounds like.