The following are recommendations for developing a Home Safety Plan. Each home has a variety of unique characteristics that require each homeowner to develop a plan best suited for his or her family and home.

Things to consider when developing your Home Safety Plan:

• Hold a family meeting and try to make it fun while still ensuring that everyone understands what to do in an emergency.
• Discuss dialing 911 in an emergency situation. Practice staying calm and providing the correct information.
• Make sure everyone understands to get out of the house immediately.
• Determine the closest exit route for each room.
• Discuss and review alternate escape routes in all rooms.
• Determine a meeting place outside the home.
• Install an adequate amount of smoke detectors and regularly test them.
• Allow everyone to hear the sound of the smoke detector alarm to familiarize them with the sound.
• Practice the plan: set off the smoke detector and have everyone practice their escape routes.
• Determine how often your family will review and practice the plan. Semi-annual practice is recommended.
• Install fire department window identifiers for children’s rooms.
• Install approved type ABC fire extinguishers on every floor of the house and educate everyone on the proper operation.
• Locked doors can be tough to unlock in a smoke-filled room. Be sure to install door locks that can be easily unlocked in an emergency. Doors that require a key to exit may be trouble during a fire.
• Make sure each member of the family practices unlocking the door.
• Stay low: heat and smoke rise to the top of the room.
• Learn and practice the stop, drop, and roll method.
• For multi-story homes, a fire escape chain or rope ladder is recommended with sufficient training.

Keep adding to your Home Safety Plan and practice it often!