Create a Family Fire Escape Plan

Your ability to get out of your home during a fire depends on advance warning from smoke alarms and advance planning

Fire can spread rapidly through your home, leaving you as little as one or two minutes to escape safely once the smoke alarm sounds. A closed-door may slow the spread of smoke, heat, and fire. Install smoke alarms in every sleeping room and outside each separate sleeping area. Install alarms on every level of the home.

Pull together everyone in your household and make a plan. Walk through your home and inspect all possible exits and escape routes. Households with children should consider drawing a floor plan of your home, marking two ways out of each room, including windows and doors.

Smoke Detectors

  • Make sure you are testing your detector correctly.
  • When a smoke detector sounds, get outside and call 911.  STAY OUTSIDE.
  • Correctly installing and maintaining your detectors is vital in reducing fire deaths, injuries and saving lives.
  • Install smoke detectors within 15 feet of any sleeping room and outside each separate sleeping area.
  • Install smoke detectors on every level of your house.
  • Replace your smoke detector every 10 years.  Write the install date on the unit.
  • Don’t forget to install Carbon Monoxide detectors on every floor as well.  Come back here in a few weeks to learn more about Carbon Monoxide detectors.

Emergency Preparedness

Actions taken in the initial minutes of an emergency are critical. Whether you are a homeowner or business owner, when an emergency occurs, the first priority is always life safety. The second priority is the stabilization of the incident.

Build your emergency response plan using this Emergency Response Plan Worksheet.

Protective actions for life safety include:

  • Evacuation
  • Sheltering
  • Shelter-In-Place
  • Lockdown

For information about becoming more prepared, visit ready.gov.