Having a Home Evacuation Plan

8/25/2021 (Permalink)

If you suffered fire damage in your Toledo home, contact SERVPRO of Toledo West today!

If a fire spreads through your home in the communities in and around Summit County, you need to ensure that everyone evacuates as quickly as possible. To keep the evacuation fast and seamless, it’s crucial to create a home fire escape plan. Designing and practicing the plan with your family members helps everyone be prepared in case of a real fire. Here are the most essential components of a home evacuation plan.

1. Escape Routes

To prevent any confusion, it’s important to designate several escape routes in your home. Take note of all the exits in your house, including doors and windows. It’s preferable to indicate two escape routes for each room so that everyone has more options to get out safely in the event of a home fire.

2. Smoke Alarms

Next, you should make sure that all of the smoke alarms in your home are functioning properly. There should be one installed in each bedroom as well as outside of each sleeping area. Smoke alarms must also be present on each level of the house, including the basement. Having the right number of functioning alarms in your home is a vital aspect of basic fire preparation.

3. Meeting Area

Once you’ve planned the fire escape routes and checked your alarms, you need to designate a meeting place outdoors where your family can converge. Examples of a meeting area include:

• Mailbox
• Street sign
• Light post
• Another house far away from yours

Be sure that the meeting place is sufficiently far from your home and clearly indicate it to all of your family members.

4. Practice

The most effective way to ensure that everyone follows the plan in a real emergency is to practice it repeatedly. Make sure to conduct drills in your home and familiarize your kids with the evacuation plan. When everyone is prepared, they can react calmly and stay safe in case of a real fire.
Creating a reliable fire escape plan is only the first step towards recovering from a fire. To have your home return to its normal state, contact emergency restoration services as soon as possible.