12. GOOD SAFETY HABITS
DEVELOP AND PRACTICE A PLAN OF ESCAPE
Prepare and practice a home escape plan twice a year, including drills at night.
Know two ways out of every room (door & window) and identify a meeting
place outside the home where everyone will gather once they have exited the
residence. When two people have reached the meeting place, one should leave
to call 911 while the second person stays to account for additional family mem-
bers.
Establish a rule that once you’re out, you never reenter under any
circumstance!
• 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 and where to meet after they leave the house.
• 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 occu-
pants to test your plan before an emergency. You may not be able to reach
your children. It is important they know what to do.
• Familiarize everyone with the sound of the smoke/CO alarm and train them to
leave your home when they hear it.
• Current studies have shown smoke/CO alarms may not awaken all sleeping
individuals, and that it is the responsibility of individuals in the household that
are capable of assisting others to provide assistance to those who may not be
awakened by the alarm sound, or to those who may be incapable of safely
evacuating the area unassisted.
• 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.
FIRE PREVENTION
Never smoke in bed, or leave cooking food unattended. Teach children never
to play with matches or lighters! Train everyone in the home to recognize the
alarm pattern and to leave the home using their escape plan when it’s heard.
Know how to do “Stop, Drop and Roll” if clothes catch on fire, and how to
crawl low under smoke. Install and maintain fire extinguishers on every level of
the home and in the kitchen, basement and garage.
