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Evacuation Plan

Though installing a smoke detector is the first step toward fire safety in your home, knowing what to do when the alarm goes off is as important. You should have an evacuation plan, and everyone in the household should understand and practice it. Though fire drills may seem a little silly at the time, practice is important because of the circumstances in which fire danger is likely to arise. When a smoke alarm awakens a sleeping family in the middle of the night, few are likely to be clearheaded. Groggy, frightened people are safest following a standard routine. Fire drills are particularly important for small children and the elderly, who are more than twice as likely to die in a residential fire as those between 10 and 60.

Everyone should understand that the most important action in the event of a fire is to get out of the house as quickly and safely as possible. There is no time to get dressed, collect pets or personal possessions, or even call the fire department.

Plan two exits from every room. For secondstory bedrooms, that may mean installing a ladder at a window. There are commercial rope and chain models, and a reader's design is featured. The first-choice exit through the house is the normal one, but check it before proceeding. Before opening a door to a hall, look for smoke coming under it, and place a hand against it to check for warmth. If either test is positive, use the window exit instead.

Since smoke rises, practice crawling to avoid it. Because electricity is likely to fail during a fire, you should also learn to find your way out without the aid of lights. It might even be wise to try the route blindfolded. If at all possible, people leaving the house should close doors behind them to slow the fire's progress. Everyone should also know to drop to the floor and roll back and forth to extinguish fire on clothing.

Once safely outside, all should gather at a predetermined meeting place, so you can quickly assess whether everyone has gotten out. All too often, people die when they go back into a burning building to save someone who has actually escaped and is standing somewhere out of sight.

Fire Extinguishers

Though most life-threatening fires occur when people are sleeping, a fire extinguisher may still save lives and can certainly reduce damage. Look for one with at least five pounds, and preferably 10 pounds, capacity, with an A-B-C rating. Keep it in a central location near the kitchen (for cooking-related problems) and the living room, if there is a fireplace or woodstove. It's also a good idea to keep another in the garage.

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