Home escape plans

If you encounter a fire in your home, it’s important to get out, stay out, and call 9-1-1. In an emergency, you need to know how to get out and where to go. 

Make a home escape plan and practice it often to prepare everyone in your household.

Once you leave a building on fire, stay out and call 9-1-1. Never go back inside for any reason. 

Check your smoke alarms 

Have a working smoke alarm on every level and outside every sleeping area. Test your smoke alarms every month. Talk to your kids about what smoke alarms sound like and what they should do if they hear your alarm sounding. If you rent your home, it’s your landlord’s responsibility to provide working smoke alarms. If you do not have a working smoke alarm in your rental unit, contact 311. 

Write it down 

Work together with your family to draw your home escape plan. Draw your house and then mark all the escape routes. Find two ways out of every room. You might have to exit through a window in an emergency. If you have a balcony or a two-storey home, make sure everyone knows how to get outside. You may consider adding a fire escape ladder to your home planning kit.  

Walk through your plan 

Look at all your doors and windows. Make sure the path to doors and windows are clear so you can get out quickly. Practice opening doors and windows so everyone in your household knows how to do it. Decide how you will help older adults, children, or anyone who needs extra help leaving in a hurry.  

Choose a meeting place 

Find a place to meet outside so you can make sure everyone got out safely. It might be a tree or another landmark. Once you get out of the house, never go back in. Call 9-1-1. Make sure your house numbers are visible on your house and from the back lane if you have one. 

Run a real-life fire drill 

Practice your plan twice a year and make it as realistic as possible. Walk through what you will do from the moment you hear the smoke alarm until WFPS arrives. Show kids how to call 9-1-1 and go over what they will need to know.  

Schools and community groups may want to host a Fire Safety Presentation or a 9-1-1 presentation for your group.  

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