How To Prepare a Home Fire Escape Plan

7/5/2021 (Permalink)

Having a fire escape plan is a home safety must.

Basic Steps To Prepare Your Plan

You never know when catastrophe might strike in Peoria, AZ. The chances of experiencing a home fire may be fairly low, but if it happens, being prepared can mean the difference between life and death. Making a fire escape plan for your family in case of a home fire ensures that if the worst-case scenario comes true, you’re prepared. Follow these basic steps to prepare your plan.

1. You should know two ways to exit every room in your home. That way, if one exit route is blocked by fire, you have an alternative route. Make sure windows are easy to open and provide enough room for someone to get through them. Everyone in your house, including children, should know how to open windows and be able to do it themselves.

2. Draw an actual map of your escape routes. Map out the floorplan of your house on graph paper and draw in how to escape from each room. The Red Cross offers a handy printout to help you. Hang your fire escape plan somewhere obvious and make sure every member of the family is familiar with it.

3. Choose an outside meeting point. It can be easy to lose track of family members during the chaos of a disaster. Chose a landmark where family members should meet after escaping, such as a tree. It should be far enough away from your burning home to be safe.

4. Perform family fire drills and time your escape. At least twice a year you should hold a fire drill so your family has a chance to practice your emergency escape plan. Fires can escalate very quickly, so everyone should try to get outside in under 2 minutes.

5. Make sure everyone in your family knows fire safety procedures. Practice crawling to avoid smoke inhalation and know how to stop, drop and roll if clothes catch fire.

Having a fire escape plan is a home safety must. Although you may never need to use it, if you’re faced with a catastrophic home fire in Peoria, AZ, knowing exactly what to do and where to go can save lives.