Your Family’s Evacuation Plan
Have a designated, pre-arranged, meeting place for
all family members outside of the home, preferably at your neighbor's home.
Once family members leave the burning home, they
should not return. More lives are lost by those returning to the burning
home. Gather at the pre-arranged meeting place. The fire department should
then be called.
Hold a family meeting. Stress the importance of
fire safety to everyone. Develop and practice your home's evacuation plan.
The very young, the aged and the infirm should have
their sleeping areas on the home's first floor to enable them to exit safely.
Each person should have at least two exits from
his/her sleeping area.
Sleep with the bedroom doors closed. When you hear
the smoke detector alarm, first, feel the door panel. If it's cool to the
touch, open the door cautiously. If it's hot, use the other exit.
Leave the burning home quickly... Heat and smoke
begin to build up immediately, even in the early stages of a fire. Smoke and
asphyxiation are the real killers in home fires.
Post this information in a prominent place in the home.
Make sure all family members read and understand
the plan.
Practice the plan regularly.