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FIRE SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
CREATE AN ESCAPE PLAN TO PRACTICE
Be prepared when your smoke/CO alarm sounds its
alarm. Develop a family escape plan, discuss it with
all household members, and practice it regularly.
• Make sure everyone is familiar with the sound
of your smoke/CO alarm and explain what the
sound means.
• Determine TWO exits from each room and have
an escape route to the outside from each exit.
• Teach all the members in your household to
check doors for heat with the back of your hand
before opening them, and to use the alternate
exit if the door is hot. Make sure they do not
open the door if it is hot.
• Teach household members to crawl along the
floor to avoid dangerous smoke, fumes and gases.
• Determine a safe meeting place for all household
members to regroup at outside the building.
PRACTICE FIRE SAFETY
Practice your escape plan at least twice a year,
making sure that everyone is involved – from kids
to grandparents. Practice the escape plan with
children, including holding one at night when they
are sleeping. If children or others do not wake up to
the sound of the smoke alarm, or if there are infants
or family members with mobility limitations, make
sure that someone is assigned to help them for
the fire drill and in the event of an emergency.
Current studies have shown smoke 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.
WHAT TO DO IN CASE OF FIRE
• Get out now.
• Don’t panic; stay calm.
• Operate your safety plan as previously planned.
• Alert small children in the home and those who
may need extra assistance.
• Leave the building as quickly as possible. Touch
doors with the back of your hand and make
sure they are not hot before opening them.
Use an alternate exit, if necessary. In case of
smoke, crawl along the floor, and DO NOT stop
to collect anything. Close the doors behind you.
• Meet at a pre-arranged meeting place outside
the building.
• Once outside, do a head count, and call the
fire department.
• DO NOT reenter the house, unless a fire official
says it’s safe to reenter.
