Roughly 374,000 fires occur in homes across the U.S. each year. Protect your home and family from being another statistic with a fire emergency plan. It will help keep you and your family safe in the case of a fire.
1. Discuss Fire Safety Tips
Obviously, you want to extinguish candles, cigarettes and other open flames immediately after use. When cooking in the kitchen, remember to turn off your oven and burners to ensure nothing catches on fire. However, did you know that fabric can become flammable when it lies near a heater? Teach your family to prevent these and other fire hazards.
2. Install Smoke Detectors
To ensure everyone can safely escape a fire, place smoke detectors on every floor of your home where you can hear them day and night. Since smoke rises, place them on the ceiling or high on walls.
3. Locate Fire Extinguishers
Fire extinguishers need to be accessible. Place one in the kitchen under the sink or in the pantry. Other smart locations include near entrance and exit doors, and at least one on each floor. Once they’re securely attached to the wall, ensure your adult and teen family members know how to use them.
4. Choose the Exits
Your home’s layout determines where you can safely exit. In each room, choose two door or window openings where your family can safely exit from . If you have a second story, store an escape ladder near the window, and make sure you know how to use it properly.
5. Designate an Outdoor Meeting Spot
Whether your family meets at a neighbor’s house or a tree across the street, designate an outdoor base camp. Call 911 from this spot after everyone safely escapes the fire.
6. Practice the Plan
Even the best fire emergency plan will be ineffective if your family members don’t know what to do when a fire starts. Test the fire alarms and teach your kids what they sound like. Then, practice escaping out of the nearest exit and meeting at your designated spot.
Having a fire emergency plan is a way to keep your family safe. Additionally, give Tracy-Driscoll a call at 860-589-3434 to review your home insurance policy, and ensure you have adequate home insurance for your house and possessions. Insurance won’t prevent fires, but it will give you peace of mind year round.
