Planning Ahead – Your Evacuation Plan

• Prepare a floor plan of your home, showing exits for every room.
• Practice the escape plan at least twice a year. Allow children to master fire escape planning, the objective is to practice, not to frighten.
• If windows or doors in your home have security bars, make sure that the bars have quick-release mechanisms on the inside so that they can be opened immediately in an emergency.
• Close doors behind you as you escape, to slow the spread of the fire and smoke.
• Test doorknobs first before opening. If the door is warm, try another escape route. If it’s cool open slowly.
• If you have to escape through smoke, get down on your hands and knees.
• Agree on a fixed location outdoors where family members are to gather for a head count. Remember to get out first, then call for help. Never go back inside until the fire department gives the OK.
• For second story rooms use a fire escape rope ladder.
• Consider installing an automatic home sprinkler system. Sprinklers can extinguish small fires faster than it takes the fire department to arrive.