Plan:

• Draw a home escape plan that shows two ways out of every room.
• Make sure windows and doors can be unlocked and opened quickly.
• Bars on windows must have a quick release device, opening from the inside.
• Have a special meeting place in front of your house or apartment where the family will meet.

Prepare:

• If you live in a building with more than one level, have escape ladders for the upstairs rooms.
• Install smoke alarms on every level and in all bedrooms – test them once a month and change the battery each year.
• Sleep with bedroom doors closed.
• Count all family members at your meeting place.
• If someone is missing, tell the firefighters where that person may be. NEVER go back inside.

Escaping from fire:

If a fire breaks out in your home, remember the following tips:

• Check the door with the back of your hand – if you feel heat, use your second exit.
• If there is smoke, crawl on your hands and knees to the nearest exit.
• Teach children how to get out of the house.
• Call 9-1-1 from a neighbor’s house.
• Remember: NEVER go back into a burning house.

If you are trapped in a room:

• Stay low near the door or window.
• Put blankets, rugs, or pillows at the bottom of the door to keep out smoke.
• Signal out the window with a sheet, towel or flashlight