Exit Drills In The Home (E.D.I.T.H.)
What ingredients make up an effective escape plan?
How do I put together a fire escape plan?
Where should I locate smoke detectors?
Now that we have our plan, what's next?
One of our family members has special needs. How do we best include them in the plan?
It's your strategy for a safe exit from your home during a fire emergency.
What ingredients make up an effective escape plan?
A careful escape plan begins with careful preparation, proper placement of smoke detectors and regular Exit Drills In The Home (E.D.I.T.H.) practice. Hopefully you will never have a fire in your home. However, should a fire occur, your safety and that of your family will depend on calm, rational actions of the occupants. Exit drills in the home and a carefully designed escape plan can be the key to a safe escape.
How do I put together a fire escape plan?
Advanced planning will ensure that you are ready for any fire emergency and can provide you and your loved ones with peace of mind. To design your own fire escape plan, sketch the floor plan of your home on a piece of paper. Indicate on the plan all doors, windows and other avenues of escape from each room in your home. Draw arrows to indicate the normal exits which would be your primary escape route. With an alternate color, draw arrows to indicate a secondary exit from each room in the home.
Choose a location outside the home where family members should meet once they have safely escaped. A neighbor's front yard or sidewalk may be an ideal meeting place.
If you need help in designing your plan or if you would like to have your plan reviewed, contact Diamond Fire Company for assistance. After completion of the floor plan, sit down with your family to to discuss these important points with them:
The number of detectors you need, and their location, depends upon the layout of your home. There should be a smoke detector located near each of the sleeping areas. It is also a good idea to have at least one detector on each level of your home.
Everyone should know the location of telephones in the home and where to find a telephone outside of the home. It is very important that children also know the 911 phone number in order to report a fire or other emergency incidents to authorities.
Now that we have our plan, what's next?
Your fire escape plan may look great on paper, but does it really work? Regular exit drills in the home will allow you to test the plan and make adjustments as may be needed. When practicing your exit drills in the home, remember to use alternate escape routes as well. Children should be closely supervised during drills in the home and no one should take unnecessary chances.
One of our family members has special needs. How do we best include them in the plan?
Some people face greater risks during a fire emergency as they may have special needs. This would include individuals who are mentally or physically handicapped. Persons with special needs should sleep in a bedroom near someone who can help in the event of an emergency. A physically handicapped person may require a sleeping area on the ground floor. Designing a special escape plan will depend on the abilities of the person.
Exit Drills In The Home can help people to prepare for an emergency. Most home fires begin between the hours of midnight and 6:00 a.m. This is a time when most people are least prepared. In the middle of the night, fire can be a disaster if you and your family are not familiar with how to escape during an emergency.
So, to protect yourself and your family, remember these tips:
Prepare a fire escape plan.
Install and maintain smoke detectors.
Practice Exit Drills In The Home regularly.
Examine your home for fire hazards and take steps to prevent a fire before it occurs.