Each family member must know what to do in the event of a fire in their home. Unless a small fire can be easily controlled,
it is recommended that fighting the fire be left to professional firefighters and that family members escape safely from the home.
A home escape plan must be created and practiced so that each person knows exactly what to do. It also is important to
practice Exit Drills In The Home (EDITH).
Most residential fires occur between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m. Deaths from residential fires occur in greater numbers between midnight
and 4 a.m. when most people are asleep. An average of 800 fires strike residential buildings each day in the United States. More
than 6,500 persons die each year from fire - more than half of them children and senior citizens. The majority of these deaths are in home fires.
Regardless of the cause of the fire, a home may be filled with smoke. This is a very dangerous situation. Family members may be
unable to see very well. The smoke and toxic gases may cause dizziness and disorientation. In the confusion, one can easily become
lost or trapped in the home. Family members must understand that their safety depends upon quickly leaving the home. It has been
proven that exit drills reduce chances of panic and injury in fires and that trained and informed people have a much better chance to
survive fires in their home.
The first step in escaping a fire in the home is to plan ahead. By installing smoke detectors in the home and being sure they are in good
working order, family members can be alerted to the presence of smoke or fire before it is too late. Together, family members can
decide on an escape plan in the event of a fire in the home.
Bedroom doors should be closed while people are sleeping. It takes fire 10 to 15 minutes to burn through a wooden door.
That's 10 to 15 minutes more for a person to escape. Family members should figure out two escape routes -
Each member of the family should know how to get safely outside by at least two routes. Family members should practice opening
their windows to become familiar with their operation. Stuck windows should be identified and repaired. If, during a fire, a window
is jammed, it may be broken out with an object and a blanket or towel placed over the frame to cover shards of glass. However, it is
much safer to open a window than it is to break the glass out.
Each member of the family should understand the importance of crawling low under smoke. Smoke and heat rise so the best place
to find fresher, cooler air is near the floor. When a person is caught in a building filled with smoke, they should drop on hands and
knees and crawl to the nearest exit. Test all closed doors before opening them. Feel the back of the door. If it is hot, don't open it.
Turn and go to the second route of exit. If the door is not hot, open slowly but be prepared to slam it closed again if there are flames.
Practice what to do if you become trapped. Since doors hold back smoke and firefighters are adept at rescue, the chances of survival
are excellent. Close doors between you and the smoke. Stuff the cracks and cover vents to keep smoke out. If there's a phone, call in
your exact location to the fire department even if they are on the scene. Wait at the window and signal with a sheet or flashlight or
something visible.
A special meeting place should be established a safe distance from the house. It could be a mailbox, the neighbor's driveway or a large
tree in the yard. It must be something that is stationary and won't be moved. This is where everyone meets in the event of a fire. It also
prevents family members from wandering around the neighborhood looking for one another, or worse, being tempted to re-enter the
burning house for one thought to be trapped inside.
Once outside at the special meeting place, a person can be sent to the neighbor's to call 9-1-1. If anyone is missing, give that information
to the fire department immediately and tell them where the probable location of the missing person could be. Under no circumstances
should anyone re-enter the burning building.
Special provisions may be required for infants, young children, disabled or the elderly who may need additional help when escaping.
These provisions should be included in the home fire escape plan and discussed with family members.
When afraid, children commonly hide in places such as a closet or under the bed. Encourage them to exit outside. Do not allow them to hide.
Make sure children can open the windows, descend a ladder, or lower themselves to the ground through a window. (Slide out on the stomach,
feet first. Hang on with both hands. Bend the knees when landing.) Lower children to the ground before you exit from the window. They may
panic and not follow if an adult goes first.
Have children practice saying the fire department number, the family name, and street address into the phone.
One very good step in the planning of a home fire escape plan is to make a floor diagram of the house. Mark the regular and emergency
escape routes, as well as windows, doors, stairs, halls.
A good way to practice the effectiveness of a home fire escape plan is to position each family member in his or her bed, turn all the lights
off, and activate the smoke detector by depressing the test switch. Each family member should help "awaken" the others by yelling the alert.
Family members should exit their rooms according to the plan, crawl low under smoke, practice feeling doors for heat, and meet in the
designated location outside the home.
Not all homes are single residential structures but include apartments and other types of buildings. Some additional discussion may be helpful
in the home escape plan.
Most high-rise or multi-story apartment complexes post fire escape plans for all residents to see and follow. However, these plans seldom
include escape routes for each apartment. Family members must develop and practice an evacuation plan for their individual apartment.
Jumping from upper floors of a building should be avoided. However, it is possible to hang from a second story window and drop feet
first to the ground without significant injury. A sprained ankle or broken leg is better than dying. Parents can purchase fire ladders for
the bedrooms, or instruct children to use an adjacent porch or garage roof to await rescue by the fire department.
As a family, explore the building so that every exit, is familiar, including those from storage, laundry and recreation rooms. If the hallways
become smoke-filled as the result of a fire, memory can help in finding the exits.
Look for these important features in the building - enclosed exit stairways, clearly-marked exits, clean hallways and lobbies, automatic
sprinklers, fire alarm systems and smoke detectors.
•