How To Create a House Fire Evacuation Plan

4/12/2022 (Permalink)

How To Make A Fire Evacuation Plan For Your Home

A home fire can begin at any time, anywhere in your Chicago,IL, home, so fire preparation is critical. Creating a fire escape plan for your household is simple yet could be a lifesaver in the event of a disaster.

1. Draw a Floor Plan

Draw a floor plan of each of your home's floors. The drawings must include every window and door of the house. You also need to identify and label two ways out of each room.

2. Agree on a Meeting Area

Decide on a meeting place that's a safe distance from the house. Everyone should congregate there after evacuating the home.

3. Teach Your Children About Fire Safety

A significant part of the fire escape plan is making sure your children have a good understanding of all aspects of fire safety. Show them what to do and not do if they hear the alarm sound. If there's smoke, they should get low to the floor and crawl to the nearest exit. Demonstrate how they can use the back of their hand on a closed door and doorknob to check for heat before opening it. Tell them NOT to open it if it's hot. Make sure they know to NEVER return to a burning building after exiting.

4. Practice a Fire Drill

Practice your evacuation plan at least twice a year. Since a home fire can break out at any time and in any part of the home, you should practice different scenarios at different times of the day and night. Firefighters and fire damage experts recommend using a stopwatch to time how long it takes for everyone to get to the meeting area after the alarm goes off. You should aim for under two minutes.

Keep your family safe. Devise a fire escape strategy as soon as possible. Hopefully, you'll never need it but practice it regularly to make sure everyone is prepared if the worst occurs.