Exit Drills In The Home (E.D.I.T.H.)

Is Your Family Ready? Create and Practice a Home Fire Escape Plan

A home fire can spread in just a few minutes, leaving little time to react. The best way to protect your family is to have a home fire escape plan and practice it regularly before an emergency occurs.

Create Your Home Escape Plan

Begin by drawing a simple floor plan of your home that includes every room. For each room, identify two ways out whenever possible. Your primary escape route will typically be a door leading through a hallway, while your secondary route may be a window or another exterior door if the main path is blocked by smoke or fire.

Take a few minutes to inspect all doors and windows to make sure they open easily and are not painted shut, blocked, or difficult to unlock. If your home has second- or third-story bedrooms, consider installing collapsible fire escape ladders and ensure family members know how to use them safely.

Choose an Outdoor Meeting Place

Every family should have a designated meeting place outside the home. Select a permanent landmark that is a safe distance from the house, such as a mailbox, large tree, neighbor's porch, or detached garage.

Once everyone has escaped, meet at this location immediately so you can quickly account for every member of your household. Knowing everyone is safely outside allows firefighters to focus on extinguishing the fire and rescuing anyone who may still be inside.

Install and Maintain Smoke Alarms

Working smoke alarms provide the early warning needed to escape safely. Install smoke alarms on every level of your home, inside every bedroom, and outside each sleeping area.

Test each alarm monthly by pressing the test button, replace batteries at least once a year (or as recommended by the manufacturer), and replace the entire smoke alarm when it reaches the end of its service life. Be sure every member of your household, especially children, recognizes the sound of a smoke alarm and knows it means to leave the home immediately.

Practice Your Plan

A fire escape plan is only effective if everyone knows what to do. Practice your family's escape plan at least twice each year. Begin the drill from bedrooms, especially at night, since many home fires occur while people are sleeping.

Practice using both your primary and secondary escape routes. Time your evacuation, meet at your designated outdoor location, and discuss any improvements that need to be made to your plan.

Remember These Life-Saving Tips

If a fire occurs:

• Crawl low beneath the smoke, where the air is cleaner.

• Before opening a closed door, feel it with the back of your hand. If it is hot, do not open it-use your alternate escape route.

• If the door is cool, open it slowly while standing behind it in case heat or flames are on the other side.

• If you cannot escape, close the door, seal the cracks with towels or clothing if possible, and signal for help from a window.

• Get out, stay out. Never re-enter a burning building for people, pets, or belongings.

• Once you are safely outside, call 911 and wait for firefighters to arrive.

Taking just a few minutes to prepare today can make all the difference during an emergency. A well-planned and well-practiced home fire escape plan gives your family the best chance of escaping safely when every second counts.