Safety: Evacuation Planning At-Home Activity

Fire can spread rapidly through your home, leaving you as little as one or two minutes to escape safely once the smoke alarm sounds. A closed door may slow the spread of smoke, heat and fire. This at-home activity is for the whole family to practice—it is important to always have an evacuation plan in place.

• Gather your family to make a fire evacuation plan.
• Walk through your home and inspect all possible exits and escape routes.
• Draw a floor plan of your home, marking two ways out of each room, including windows and doors.
• Mark the location of each smoke alarm.
• Determine your meeting spot once out of the house.
• Practice your plan.

For easy planning, use an escape planning grid from the National Fire Protection Association. This is a great way to get children involved in fire safety in a non-threatening way.