Does Your Family Have a Fire Escape Plan?
At Advanced Lock and Security, the most important thing we do is ensure the safety of you and your loved ones, which includes fire protection. An important part of fire safety is to have a fire escape plan for your entire household. Start by gathering everyone in the household and inspect every aspect of your home. Ensure that doors are not blocked and windows can be opened. If you have security bars on the windows, make sure they are equipped with emergency release devices inside. Such devices will not jeopardize your safety, but they will allow easy escape in the event of an emergency like a fire. Once you and the members of your household have become familiar with every aspect of the house, draw up a map that indicates all doors and windows. Determine two ways out of every room to include doors and windows. We also recommend marking the location of each smoke alarm.
Determine a meeting place outside and a safe distance from the home. This could be a neighbor’s house, stop sign, utility pole, or other safe location that will not change or move. It is important that everyone in the household understands the escape plan and even practices it. Those with members of the household who have a disability or elderly members who may have limited mobility should be assigned another member of the household to help them along. Designate a backup helper as well in the event that the designee is away at the time of fire or emergency. It is also important that every member of the household memorize the emergency number for the fire department so anyone can call from a cell phone or a neighbor’s house. Under no circumstances should anyone ever go back into a burning building. If someone is not present at the designated meeting place, report their absence to the fire department. Firefighters are well trained and equipped for rescues.
Once you have your plan laid out, put it to the test. You should practice your fire escape plan at least twice a year, and make it as realistic as possible. This includes making arrangements for anyone who has a disability or limited mobility. For those with children in their household, make sure they have mastered the plan prior to a fire drill during sleeping hours. The important thing is to practice and not frighten, so it’s ok to tell them before bedtime that there will be a fire drill. This can be just as effective as a surprise drill. An important part of the drill is to determine if the smoke alarm is able to awaken everyone. If it doesn’t wake up a member of the household, assign someone to wake them up as part of the drill and in the event of a real emergency. If your household has a second floor, make sure everyone, including children, are able to escape the second floor rooms with an emergency ladder or other means. Children should always practice this with a grownup. Always choose the safest escape route with the least amount of smoke and heat. Closing doors and windows on your way out will slow the spread of fire and provide more time to escape safely.
If you have any questions or concerns, Advanced Lock and Security may be able to help. You can also find help and information from your local fire department. Advanced Lock and Security specializes in all aspects of home and business safety, security, and more. Give us a call with any questions and any job big or small.
