1. Decide to be Prepared
  2. Identify Real Threats &
    Hazards
  3. Improve Your Disaster
    Personality
  4. Complete Your Emergency Communications Plan
  5. Complete Your Emergency
    Contact Cards
  6. Assign Emergency
    Responsibilities
  7. Develop a House Fire
    Evacuation Plan
  8. Put an Emergency Supply
    Kit in Every Vehicle
  9. Protect Valuable Papers
    and Records
  10. Establish a Neighborhood
    Support Network
  11. Identify Storage Spaces for Emergency Supplies
  12. Collect & Store Emergency
    Supplies
  13. Prepare a Disaster
    Recovery Plan
  14. Create a Family
    Indentification File
  15. Establish a Solid
    Emergency Financial
    Plan
  16. Train to Survive
Step 7.
Develop a House Fire Evacuation Plan

There is no better reason to plan ahead because, when a fire breaks out, you literally have only seconds to escape. Everyone, guests included, needs to know how to react, how to escape, and where to meet a safe distance away.

In General:

  • Draw a floor plan and identify at least two escape routes from each room
  • Conduct practice drills; making sure windows and doors are not blocked and can be easily opened
  • Select your meeting place outside the house and make it routine to meet there every time you conduct a family fire drill.

Hold a family meeting:

  • Define and discuss your plan
  • Teach the techniques: roll out of bed, stay low, crawl to an exit, control breathing, get out—every second counts!
  • Decide how you will alert others – yelling “FIRE, FIRE!” can be effective.
  • Schedule a follow-up meeting to include a family fire drill.

For other fire safety tips and more information, use these links:
http://www.haveanexitstrategy.com
http://www.nfpa.org

Survival tip: Conduct a minimum of two fire drills every year. Keep a record of date, participants, and lessons learned. Practice because you anticipate the unexpected to actually happen. Test your smoke alarms each time you drill; replace batteries twice a year and the entire unit every 5 to 6 years.