7. GOOD SAFETY HABITS
DEVELOP AND PRACTICE A PLAN OF ESCAPE
• Install and maintain Fire extinguishers on every level of the home and in the kitchen,
basement and garage. Know how to use a fire extinguisher prior to an emergency.
• Make a floor plan indicating all doors and windows and at least two (2) escape routes
from each room. Second story windows may need a rope or chain ladder.
• Have a family meeting and discuss your escape plan, showing everyone what to do
in case of fire.
• Determine a place outside your home where you all can meet if a fire occurs.
• Familiarize everyone with the sound of the smoke alarm and train them to leave your
home when they hear it.
• Practice a fire drill at least every six months, including fire drills at night. Ensure that
small children hear the alarm and wake when it sounds. They must wake up in order
to execute the escape plan. Practice allows all occupants to test your plan before an
emergency. You may not be able to reach your children. It is important they know
what to do.
WHAT TO DO WHEN THE ALARM SOUNDS
• Alert small children in the home.
• Leave immediately by your escape plan. Every second counts, so don’t waste time
getting dressed or picking up valuables.
• In leaving, don’t open any inside door without first feeling its surface. If hot, or if you
see smoke seeping through cracks, don’t open that door! Instead, use your alternate
exit. If the inside of the door is cool, place your shoulder against it, open it slightly and
be ready to slam it shut if heat and smoke rush in.
• Stay close to the floor if the air is smoky. Breathe shallowly through a cloth, wet if
possible.
• Once outside, go to your selected meeting place and make sure everyone is there.
• Call the fire department from your neighbor’s home - not from yours!
• Don’t return to your home until the fire officials say that it is all right to do so.
There are situations where a smoke alarm may not be effective to protect against fire. For
instance:
- smoking in bed
- leaving children home alone
- cleaning with flammable liquids, such as gasolineFires
-where the victim is intimate with a flaming initiated fire; for example, when a person's
clothes catch fire while cooking.
- Fires where the smoke is prevented from reaching the detector due to a closed door
or other obstruction.
- Incendiary fires where the fire grows so rapidly that an occupant's egress is blocked
even with properly located detectors.
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