Family-Friendly Fire Escape Plans

4/7/2022 (Permalink)

The adults in the home must establish a home fire escape plan and share that plan with all members of the household.

A home fire is one of those disasters that everyone thinks is impossible to happen to them. Like in the movies, a home fire is seemingly a random occurrence that is unlikely to happen in real life. However, home fires occur far more often than many South Florida homeowners imagine. As such, being prepared is paramount to keeping your family safe from the potential harms of a home fire. The first step in home fire safety is creating a fire escape plan.

When an accidental fire occurs in a home, a family will depend on three critical elements: 1) smoke detectors and fire alarms, 2) a fire escape plan, and 3) rapid response from the local fire rescue department. With this in mind, homeowners should be in the routine of regularly checking that their smoke alarms are working properly. Check the batteries once a quarter to ensure that you will be alerted to smoke/fire in your home. In addition, the adults in the home must establish a home fire escape plan and share that plan with all members of the household.

Your home first escape plan should include:

• First, establish all possible exits and ensure that all family members understand where they are and how to access them. This should be determined by looking at the layout of the home and deciding the quickest way to get out depending on where the person may be in the home.
• Exit strategy should include dropping to the ground and staying low as you crawl to the primary fire exits.
• Establish secondary fire exits, like windows, in the event that it is not safe to leave through the primary exits.
• Discuss a meeting location that is far enough away from the house that everyone can reside there while fire rescue professionals address the fire.
• Practice, practice, practice. It is not enough to create a fire escape plan, family members must rehearse this plan to ensure that everyone is prepared in a high-stress situation.

Young children will need assistance throughout the process of escaping a fire, but knowing a general plan will help everyone in the home to react as safely and as efficiently as possible. As always, if you or a loved one have suffered from a home fire, our fire damage and restoration team is ready to help. Contact SERVPRO of North Palm Beach County today to learn more.