How to Develop a Fire Safety Plan
Fire safety is no joke. You may think you’re ready — with smoke alarms installed and freshly checked, a safe exit plan routed through your home, and the ability to jump into action at a moment’s notice.
But fires burn fast and furiously, spreading through the dwellings of even the largest homes in as quickly as two minutes. You need to do more than feel ready — you need to get ready.
Get ready with All Dry USA by following this five-step fire safety plan to prepare yourself and your family for the unthinkable.
1. Schedule Regular Maintenance of Your Smoke Alarms
The best way to prepare for a home fire is to avoid it. Scheduling regular maintenance of your smoke alarms is vital, as these are the sensors that will allow you to stop a blaze before it gets out of control.
Nowadays, you can purchase fire alarms that have app connectivity so that you can get instant alerts about the presence of smoke whether you’re asleep, at work, or otherwise out of the house.
2. Map Out Your Home and Create an Escape Plan
If you live in a studio apartment, it’s easy. Just pray the door doesn’t get blocked by a wall of flame, and make your escape. Most of us, however, live in multi-room dwellings, so we have to create escape plans.
An escape plan starts with a personal blueprint of the living space. You know where you live internally and automatically, but you get much-needed perspective when mapping out a floor plan.
It’s best to create multiple routes of escape — front door and back, and even windows. But if that isn’t possible, make sure each person in each room knows how to get out of that room if flames are blocking the door.
3. Choose an Outside Meeting Place
This point is especially important for people with children. Getting everyone out of the house or apartment is one thing, but making sure you all reconvene somewhere safe is another.
Children may easily get separated and turned around when leaving familiar surroundings, so get everyone on the same page about meeting up at a safe distance from the home, at least 20 yards away.
4. Practice Drills
The two main drills you need to know in the event of a fire are “get low and go” and “stop drop and roll.”
The “get low and go” keeps you low to the ground so that neither your hair nor clothes catch fire as you make your escape. The “stop drop and roll” is for those times when you do catch fire.
You can’t assume that you’re going to make it out unscathed. Prepare for the worst ahead of time so that it doesn’t happen.
5. Know How to Use Your Fire Extinguisher and Fire Blanket
Home safety experts have said it a million times, but we’ll say it once more: know how to use a fire extinguisher. Ensure you have one in the home, make sure it’s not expired, and make sure it’s in an easily accessible location next to the kitchen. And same with a fire blanket.
Putting Your Fire Safety Plan to the Test
Once you’ve put together your fire safety plan, it’s time to put it to the test. Though it may sound extreme, the best way to practice a fire drill is by making it as real as possible. Appoint someone in the house as the fire marshal and have them spring a fire drill on the household unexpectedly.
That’s how a fire will reach you in real-time, so you’ll get the best practice if you try it that way.
In Case You Can’t Stand the Heat…
For all your alarm system, fire damage, and smoke damage needs, call in the pros at All Dry USA. All Dry USA’s team of leading professional experts can help you out of any bind, no matter how extensive. Call and get a quote today.
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