House fires can happen to any family. With a home fire escape plan, all members of the family can be appropriately prepared should a fire ever start. From the youngest to the oldest, everyone should participate in creating and regularly reviewing an emergency escape plan. While you hope to never use this plan, it is imperative to have one in the event of a fire or detrimental emergency where the house must be evacuated.
First, draw a map of your home including all the windows and doors.
Draw each floor separately, including only permanent fixtures in the drawing that could get in the way of an escape route. Then, as a group, travel to each room and discuss ways that the room may be exited quickly and safely. This can include a first-floor window or the doorway into a hallway leading to the front or back door. As you visit each room, make sure to check that every member of the family can open every window and door.
In addition to noting the doors and window, also check for a smoke alarm in each room. One per floor is not enough to quickly detect fire and warn the entire family for a safe escape. Write down how many, if any, smoke detectors you need. Purchase and install these promptly. Carbon monoxide detectors should also be installed throughout your house, as this gas is virtually undetectable to humans. Having both of these alarms will notify the whole family if there is smoke or monoxide that is dangerous resulting in execution of the home fire escape plan.
The next step is to choose a central location for everyone to meet after escaping from the house.
The meeting spot should be easily recognizable and far enough away from the house so that members of the family are out of danger. Mark this spot on your escape plan and walk to it from the house so that everyone knows exactly where to go without question or hesitation in the event of an emergency.
When you have finalized your home fire escape plan, make a copy for each family member and keep the original somewhere it can always be seen like on the refrigerator.
It is recommended that the entire family go through the home fire escape plan at least once every 6 months to stay familiar with the routes and meeting places and make any necessary changes. This is especially crucial for families with small children or aging adults. Having an accurate and updated escape plan can help save time, property and most importantly, lives.
After you have created a thorough fire escape plan, take the final step by installing a fire sprinkler system. Fire Tech Residential Sprinklers specializes in residential fire sprinkler systems in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Washington DC, and the Baltimore Metropolitan Area. With a variety of sprinkler heads, we can match your design needs and budget. Contact us today to see how we can make your home safer for you and your family.