Be Prepared - Home Fire Create a Fire Emergency Plan
Plan Ahead
Purchase fire safety items such as smoke alarms, fire extinguishers, carbon monoxide detectors, fire ladders and so on. Print out our Fire Safety Checklist to make sure you have enough fire safety coverage for your entire home, especially where people sleep.
Print out and fill in your WHN Contact List. Print copies of the Emergency Contact List and keep them by your phones for easy access. Instruct family members how to call for help.
Draw a floor plan of your residence. Mark two escape routes from each room. Place a copy of the plan in the bedroom of each family member. Make sure the plan is easily accessible.
Designate a place for family to meet outside the house. If it's a neighbor's house, make sure all family members know the address and phone number.
WHN TIP: Get your kids involved! Choose a favorite tree on the lawn and tell your children to stay there and wait for the firefighters to arrive.
WHN TIP: Choose a meeting place that's away from the road and driveway - first responder vehicles might use these.
Practice your escape plan every month. Practice using both exits. Make sure windows and doors aren't stuck and that screens can be removed. Also practice at night to see how long family members take to wake up.
Always sleep with your bedroom doors shut. Doors can act as smoke shields and also increase your potential escape time. At nighttime, consider shutting doors to other rooms and areas as well (bathroom, office, basement) in case a fire starts in that area.
Always close doors to rooms when leaving your home as well. Again, closed doors will help contain fires to that room and decrease the potential amount of damage.
Identify or maintain an adequate outside water source such as a small pond, cistern, well, swimming pool, or hydrant.
Know the emergency response plan for your workplace, your children's school or day-care center, as well as other places where your family spends time.
Meet with neighbors either informally or through a neighborhood group to create a neighborhood preparedness plan.
Make sure your house number is visible from the street — emergency personnel will need to find your house in a hurry. Some cities offer to paint your house number on the curb for a small fee. Ask your city or county administration officials about this option.
WHN TIP: The best place for your house number on your house is near the front door, at or slightly above eye level and lit by a light.
WHN TIP: When you drive home at nighttime, check to see if your house number is clearly visible. Consider moving the number or adding additional lighting if necessary.
WHN TIP: Make sure your mailbox number faces the traffic side of the street.