Modern home security systems guard against both intruders and environmental threats, including fires.
When your smart smoke/heat detector senses smoke, it will signal your control panel. If you have a professional monitoring service, your system will prompt the team to send the fire department to your home. At the same time, you will get a notification on your phone to alert you to the danger.
Time is your greatest enemy during a fire, so this early warning is critical. If you don’t have a fire escape plan, however, your family may not know what to do. In just minutes, they can become trapped, confused, and overcome with smoke.
Strengthen your family’s protection by creating a fire escape plan. Use these tips to prepare them for a fire and ensure they can get out in time.
How can I create a fire escape plan?
1. Develop an evacuation plan
A house fire can turn the most familiar house into a confusing maze. Thick smoke can make it hard to see where you are. Panic may cloud your mind. If flames and heat have cut off your intended escape route, you may not be able to think clearly enough to find a safer option.
Before starting your fire evacuation plan, gather everyone who lives in the house. Walk through your home together. Identify the exits in each room, as well as the best ways to get to the nearest door from each part of the house.
As you go, pay attention to potential hazards. Will you have to navigate around any furniture or open any doors? Are there any areas that lack exits and must be avoided?
Next, create a map of the house and draw the escape routes from each room. Use a specific color for the primary routes, which should lead to the nearest door that opens outside.
Choose a different color for secondary routes. These routes should guide people to the best exit in each room. If fire and heat trap anyone in a room, they can use a secondary route to escape.
After leaving the house, everyone should go to a pre-determined meeting place. Tell your family to go to the neighbor’s mailbox across the street or to a specific tree. Just make sure this location is a safe distance from the home and easy to find in the dark.
You should also create a backup for your fire escape plan. Towels or sheets can block smoke from entering under a door, so keep linens stocked in every room. Teach your family how to shove the material under the door if they can’t get out of the room. Give everyone a flashlight that they can use to signal their location from the window.
Finally, consider the specific needs of each person in your family. If you have young children, elderly parents, someone with mobility issues, or pets, plan how you will get them outside. Assign a helper who will make sure these family members escape quickly and safely.
2. Prepare ahead of time
Now that you have a fire escape plan, use it to prepare your home for a quick and easy escape. Print several copies of the plan and place them around the house. If you have frequent visitors, such as family, babysitters, and friends, walk them through the plan.
Your doors and windows should be easy to open, even for the smallest people in your family. Ensure each lock opens smoothly and easily. Repair any windows or doors that have a tendency to stick. If you have young children who are too small to reach the windows, keep a stool, or another object that they can use to reach the exit, nearby.
For two-story homes, consider purchasing a collapsible ladder for an easier escape.
Go through the house and check every smoke detector. Each device should have a well-charged battery and must activate when you test it. Install a smoke alarm in every room to make sure everyone is protected. If you haven’t already, consider getting a smart smoke/heat detector that will connect to your security system.
To help the fire department find your house, the numbers on the outside of your home and mailbox must be easy to find. Either replace or repaint any numbers that are faded.
Closed doors can slow a fire’s spread, so encourage your family to close bedroom doors at night and when you leave the house. This simple habit can give you vital extra seconds during a fire.
3. Practice, practice, practice
During a fire, you won’t have time to try to remember your fire escape plan. Instead, you need to act automatically and instinctively.
Practicing what to do during a fire ensures that you can act quickly. Since you’ve gone through the actions so many times, your family will know what to do from the first hint of smoke or screech of the alarm.
During your fire drills, practice getting low to avoid smoke. Teach your children to test each door and handle for heat. Remind them that time is critical, so they need to move quickly.
Everyone should treat each practice session like a real fire. No matter where you are, follow the pre-planned routes to get out of the house. Have everyone gather at the meeting spot to make sure they know what to do from start to finish.
You can also practice your backup plan. Use linens to block smoke from under the door before escaping out the window. This simulation will show if anyone has trouble reaching the window or getting out of the house safely. Be sure to rearrange any furniture that blocks or confuses people as they exit the house.
Practicing can have an element of fun for children, but don’t let it become a game. Remind your family that they need to treat every alert like a real threat, even if it may be a false alarm.
With the right mindset and your fire escape plan, you can make sure your family stays safe.
