Plan a Home Evacuation Route
1/ Draw up a floor plan of your home. Be sure to mark door and window locations for each room.
2/ Check that all of the windows in your home open easily and fully. Keep in mind that children may be able to fit out windows that adults cannot.
3/ Look at your diagram and identify two different ways out of each room. Mark these on your diagram in different colors.
4/ Call a family meeting to discuss the best escape routes. Getting the kids involved in planning will help them remember escape routes better.
5/ Jot down the escape routes your family chooses.
6/ Agree on a meeting place outside the house. This way, you will be able to easily determine whether a family member is missing during an emergency.
Practice Using Your Home Evacuation Route
1/ Ask each family member to lie in his bed. Many fires occur at night while you are asleep.
2/ Sound a whistle to begin your emergency drill. You may wish to use a stopwatch to time your family's escape.
3/ Block one of the two evacuation points for each room, and run your evacuation drill again. Exits may be blocked following a fire or earthquake.
4/ Carefully walk each family member through all evacuation routes.
Install Safety Equipment in the House
1/ Install smoke detectors near sleeping areas on all floors of your home. Place a smoke detector near the kitchen as well.
2/ Consider installing metal escape ladders to upper-story rooms. Blocked stairways may leave upper-story windows as your only escape route.
3/ Test your smoke alarms once every month and replace batteries as needed.
1/ Draw up a floor plan of your home. Be sure to mark door and window locations for each room.
2/ Check that all of the windows in your home open easily and fully. Keep in mind that children may be able to fit out windows that adults cannot.
3/ Look at your diagram and identify two different ways out of each room. Mark these on your diagram in different colors.
4/ Call a family meeting to discuss the best escape routes. Getting the kids involved in planning will help them remember escape routes better.
5/ Jot down the escape routes your family chooses.
6/ Agree on a meeting place outside the house. This way, you will be able to easily determine whether a family member is missing during an emergency.
Practice Using Your Home Evacuation Route
1/ Ask each family member to lie in his bed. Many fires occur at night while you are asleep.
2/ Sound a whistle to begin your emergency drill. You may wish to use a stopwatch to time your family's escape.
3/ Block one of the two evacuation points for each room, and run your evacuation drill again. Exits may be blocked following a fire or earthquake.
4/ Carefully walk each family member through all evacuation routes.
Install Safety Equipment in the House
1/ Install smoke detectors near sleeping areas on all floors of your home. Place a smoke detector near the kitchen as well.
2/ Consider installing metal escape ladders to upper-story rooms. Blocked stairways may leave upper-story windows as your only escape route.
3/ Test your smoke alarms once every month and replace batteries as needed.