You practice fire drills at school and at work. Why not practice them at home too? National Fire Prevention Week (Oct 9–15) is a good time to create and practice an escape plan with your family or roommates.
The National Fire Prevention Association (NFPA) makes creating an escape plan easy, with five simple steps.
- Draw a map of your home, marking all doors and windows. Make sure there is nothing blocking any windows or doors in each room.
- Test your smoke alarms to make sure they’re working. Batteries should be changed at least once a year, and the smoke alarms themselves should be replaced every 10 years.
- Find a safe meeting place outside your home. Choose a tree, mailbox, or something else that doesn’t usually move.
- Inform every occupant in your home about your newly created plan.
- Finally, practice a fire drill twice a year so each occupant learns and memorizes the escape plan.
More information on fire escape plans and other fire safety tips can be found on the NFPA website.