Plan your Escape
When fire breaks out, many people panic and do not know what to do. If you plan and practice a fire drill in your home, you can greatly increase your chances of making it safely out of a home fire.
- Plan out 2 ways to escape from each room in your home.
- Talk with your family about what to do.
- Draw your plan out on paper.
- Make sure doorways and windows for escape plans are clear and can be opened.
- Establish a family meeting place away from the home, somewhere visible to the emergency service workers.
- Teach everyone to “Get Out and Stay Out”.
- Do not go back in for pets, toys, or family members.
- Teach children...DO NOT HIDE! You can not hide from a fire.
- If you must exit from a closed door, remember to test the door knob and door with the back of your hand. If it is cool, open carefully. If it is hot, find another exit route.
- Teach children to escape on their own. They should not wait until a parent comes to help.
- Establish a plan for elderly or small children that may need help escaping from the home.
- Identify your home with address labels clearly, so emergency workers can find your home.
- Teach all children in the home to call 911 and give your address. In a fire, they would need to do this from a neighbor's house.
- Practice a fire escape plan in your home every 6 months!
- When practicing remember to: Stay low and crawl, exit from the nearest exit, go to family meeting place, call 911, give address, and stay out! Talk about your fire drill with your family afterwards.