Home Fire Escape Drill
Once you've "made a plan", with a grown-up, remember a fire escape drill is the best way to practice it. At least twice a year, conduct an escape drill with each family member. Explain that if they have to escape a fire, they will need to use certain techniques to be safe.
- Respond promptly
- In a fire, every second counts. When the smoke alarm sounds, get out, and stay out.
- Take nothing
- Do not stop to get dressed or take valuables. There isn't time.
- Crawl low under smoke
- In a fire, there may be superheated air near the ceiling, a think layer of deadly smoke in the upper part of the room or hallway, and possibly heavy toxic gases near the floor. To survive, people should crawl under the smoke on their hands and knees, keeping their head in the safety zone about 12 to 24 inches (30-60 centimeters) off the floor.
- Feel around doors before opening
- Before opening any door, feel the doorknob and the door frame with the back of your hand. If you feel heat, do not open the door. Use the second way out.
- Know two ways out of every room
- If your first way is blocked by smoke or fire, use your second way out.
- Use the stairs, not the elevators
- If you live in an apartment building, don't use the elevator in a fire. It may take you to the fire floor.
- Go immediately to your outside meeting place
- This is the best way to make sure that everybody has made it out. Once outside, call the fire department from a neighbor's telephone or portable phone. Do not go back inside for any reason. If a family member is trapped, a trained firefighter with protective clothing has the best chance of rescuing them.
Use the checklist below to make sure each family member remembers these techniques during the drill. Put a check mark in the box if they remember, an X if they don't. Have them start the drill in bed. Have the person in charge push the test button on the smoke alarm to sound the alarm. When each family member gets to the door, call out "cool" or "warm". Vary this from drill to drill. Coach family members who make mistakes.
| Name | ||||
| Responds promptly | ||||
| Takes nothing | ||||
| Crawls low under smoke | ||||
| Feels door | ||||
| Uses second way out | ||||
| Uses stairs not elevators | ||||
| Goes to outside meeting place | ||||
| Knows emergency number |