Everyone in your family should know their role in your home’s fire safety plan. Most importantly, kids should be familiar with how smoke detectors sound and what your home fire escape plan is.
We are offering our readers a downloadable Fire Safety Plan Checklist! Please take a moment to review it with your family. Walk through your home and inspect all possible escape routes. Everyone in the family needs to understand the escape plan. When you “Do the Drill”, make sure to check that the designated escape routes are clear and doors and windows can be opened easily by children.
EVERYONE in your family has a role to play in your home’s fire safety. Both adults and kids should be familiar with smoke alarms and home fire escape planning.
- Does your home have smoke alarms on every level, inside each bedroom, and outside each sleeping area?
- Do you know the sound that a smoke alarm makes?
- Do you know what to do if you smoke alarm sounds?
- Are all the exits in your home clear of furniture, toys, and clutter?
- Can you see the number on your house from the street (have a grown-up go with you to check)?
- Has your family picked a safe place to meet outside if a fire occurs?
- Are the batteries working in all your smoke alarms?
- Does your home have interconnected smoke alarms (when one sounds, they all sound)?
- Do you test the batteries in the smoke alarms at least once a month?
- Does your family have a home fire escape plan that includes two ways out of each room?
- Does your entire family practice your plan twice a year?
Do The Drill!
Follow these easy steps to complete a fun family fire drill!
- Call the family together. Let everyone know that you are going to do a practice fire drill.
- Explain that when the smoke alarm goes off, everyone should quickly and carefully leave the home and go to the Outside Meeting Place.
- Ask everyone to go to a different room and wait for the alarm. After several minutes, set off the smoke alarm by pushing the test button and watch your family’s actions.
- When everyone reassembles at the Outside Meeting Place, ask each family member to explain exactly what they did when the alarm went off.
- Review any questions.
By following this checklist and preparing for a fire ahead of time, you can have peace of mind knowing your family and your home will remain safe year-round.
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