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Home Fire Escape Planning
Experts estimate that you have as little as 2 minutes to safely escape your home once the smoke alarm sounds. Working smoke alarms provide the valuable seconds needed to escape a burning residence.
ESCAPE PLANNING
- Designate a safe meeting place outside your home where everyone can get to after a fire.
- Use graph paper to draw a floor plan of your home and to show two ways out of each room.
- Make sure each family member is aware of escape options from each room.
- Practice your family escape plan twice each year.
- Walk through your home periodically and inspect all exits and escape routes.
IF THE ALARM SOUNDS
- If the smoke alarm sounds, GET OUT AND STAY OUT. Never go back inside for people or pets.
- If you have to escape through smoke, GET LOW AND GO under the smoke to your way out.
- Call the fire department from outside of your home.
SAFETY TIPS
- Practice your home fire drill at night and during the day with everyone in your home. Practice twice per year.
- Practice using different ways out.
- Teach children how to escape on their own in case you can't help them.
- Close doors behind you as you leave.
Printable Flyers
Make Your Own Plan
- Draw a map of your home. Show all doors and windows.
- Visit each room. Find two ways out.
- All windows and doors should open easily. You should be able to use them to get outside.
- Make sure your home has smoke alarms. Push the test button to make sure each alarm is working.
- Pick a meeting place outside. It should be in front of your home. Everyone will meet at the meeting place.
- Make sure your house or building number can be seen from the street.
- Talk about your plan with everyone in your home.
- Learn the emergency phone number for your fire department.
- Practice your home fire escape drill!