Okay, so one of your worst nightmares very well could be a house fire. It’s a terrifying – absolutely terrifying – thought. And that’s exactly the reason why it’s important to have a home fire escape plan and to instruct your whole family about it. The thing is that when a fire breaks out, time is crucial. It’s so important to be able to move quickly and efficiently to exit the home safely.
And that’s where a home fire escape plan comes in. Here are a few tips to keep in mind when creating your plan and going over it with your family.
- Come up with two ways to get out of any room in the house. The most obvious way out might not be safe. There might be smoke or flames that make the first route unsafe.
- Check any door. Use the back of a hand to check any closed door you come to. Check the doorknob, the top of the door, and the spot between the door and the frame. If there is any heat, use the backup plan.
- If the door is clear, brace yourself against it and open it slowly. Be cautious as you try to get the door open.
- If there’s smoke…If you have to escape through smoke, get low to the ground and crawl along the floor.
- Have a meeting place. Everyone in your family should know where to meet up if they need to escape from the house. One person should be the designated “911 caller” who will go to a neighbor and call the fire department.
- Make sure everyone knows not to go back inside or take any belongings. Time is of the essence.
- Practice, practice, practice. You should go over the fire escape plan once a month, both when it’s light and when it’s dark so you all can practice feeling your way out of the house.
Just taking the time to plan out what to do if there’s a fire can be essential if there’s an emergency. Get the family together and go over some fire safety together. (Just tell everyone there will be a pop quiz later and they’ll pay attention.)
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Sources:
http://www.redcross.org/news/article/A-Home-Fire-Escape-Plan-Can-Save-Your-Life