How to Prepare for a Fire | Fire Escape Plan

Fire is dangerous. That is why it is important to have a good understanding of fire safety. Don’t get into the mindset that a fire could never happen in your home, instead be precautious and come up with a family fire escape plan. Call the family together and sit down for your first family fire meeting.

One of the first and most important things to go over is your family’s emergency contact numbers and home address. It is always helpful to have mom and dad’s cell phone numbers memorized for any type of emergency, not just a house fire. Go over calling 911 and the questions that emergency personnel will be asking: type of emergency, name, age, address, etc. In the case of a house fire never call 911 from inside the house. Your first priority is to get out of the house. Choose a family meeting place a safe distance from the house such as the neighbor’s house, the mailbox, a light post, or a street sign. Once you have reached your safe spot outside of the home then call 911.

Next step is to put your plan into action. Walk through the house as a family to point out the possible exits in each room and the locations of the smoke alarms. While walking through practice opening doors and windows to make sure they operate smoothly. Next, run through a family fire drill during the day and during the night. Make sure your family is aware it is a drill to prevent anyone from being scared or taking unnecessary measures.

Finally, talk about extra precautions to take during the event of a house fire. As you are following our family’s fire escape plan, there are a few things to keep in mind. If you are escaping through an area that is very smoky, stay low and pull your shirt over your mouth to protect yourself from getting smoke into your lungs. Try to close as many doors behind you as possible. A closed door will slow down the spread of heat, smoke, and fire. If you are trying to exit a room and the door is closed, check to see if the fire is close to the other side of the door by putting the backside of your hand close to the door handle. If the handle is hot don’t open the door, instead escape through another door or window. Lastly, it is so important to know never ever, ever go back into a burning house!

Take the time to prepare your family for a house fire. It doesn’t hurt to be too cautious and your kids are never too young to start learning your family’s escape plan. Our family of staff at Royal Renovations has a plan to help clean up after a fire, but we need you and your family to have a plan for your safety.

 

Click here for a Family Fire Escape Plan Checklist