Family Emergency Plan - Fire Escape Plan

11/27/2019 (Permalink)

Here is a photo from a residential fire that started in the kitchen. It quickly spread to the stairway leading to the bedrooms

Do you have a Family Emergency Plan for your home?

One of the most important parts of your family's emergency plan should include a Fire Escape Plan.

A Family Fire Escape Plan is crucial to have in place and for every member of the family to be familiar with, before a residential fire occurs.  According to experts, people have as little as 2 minutes to escape a burning building before it becomes impossible to get out.  Every second counts!  In a matter of moments, a small flame can become a major fire, making it critical to be prepared and have an escape plan in place.

In a survey conducted by the American Red Cross, only 26% of families have developed and practiced a home fire escape plan.  Once a plan is developed, it is critical the everyone in the home understands the plan.  The best way to familiarize the family members with the plan is to practice it at least twice per year.

The following steps can assist in developing and implementing a plan:

• Ensure that all smoke detectors work and have fresh batteries.
• Draw a map of each level of the home, showing all doors and windows
• Consider escape ladders for second floor bedrooms
• Choose an outside meeting place for after you have all escaped
• Teach children how to escape on their own. Have them do so, until they can do so unaided.
• Practice the escape plan during both day and night hours.

SERVPRO of Dubuque hopes that you and your family never have to experience the tragedy of a fire in your home.  In the event that it happens, we hope that an escape plan will help to keep your family safe.  If you do experience a fire please call on the highly trained fire and water damage specialists at SERVPRO of Dubuque to help make it “Like it never even happened.”