Your fire escape plan

If your home was to catch fire, how would you and your family escape? Every home should have a fire escape plan, accidental house fires can happen to anyone, and every second counts, so you need to be prepared.

• Gather your whole family together and work out a plan, walk through your home and note where all your doors and windows then draw a map of your house and mark your escape route.

• Install smoke alarms on every level of your house and outside every sleeping area, make sure to test the batteries monthly and change them once a year. Having smoke alarms can save your life.

• Practice escaping with your family, children need to know to keep low and crawl when there is a fire, also make sure they know the number for the fire department and other emergency numbers.

• Consider buying escape ladders for sleeping areas if you have second or third floors, keep them close to the windows and learn how to use them properly.

• Make sure to test that all windows and doors are easily opened and once you have escaped safely NEVER go back inside your home under any circumstances.

• Remember to practice your fire escape plan twice every year, make the drill as realistic as possible.  

Without a fire escape plan you could place the lives of your family and yourself in serious danger, a fire can get completely out of control in less than 30 seconds and it only takes minutes for a house to become engulfed in flames so make sure you are ready for anything. 

Click here to build your family fire escape plan

Written By: Christine Romans