HOME FIRE EVACUATION

HOW TO PLAN YOUR FAMILY’S ESCAPE

GET TO KNOW E.D.I.T.H. AND D.A.N. 

WHAT ARE E.D.I.T.H. AND D.A.N.?

 E.D.I.T.H. stands for Exit Drills In The Home, and D.A.N. stands for Drill At Night. Since practice and prevention are the best way to be prepared if fire strikes.

 LEARN EXITS FROM EVERY ROOM.

  1.      Determine at least two ways out of each room in your home. When fire strikes, you won’t have time to stop and think of what to do.

  2.      Make a floor plan of your home – where are the windows and the doors in each room? Can all members of the family easily operate them? Should special arrangements be made for family members with mobility problems or physical limitations?

3.      Decide on a meeting place outside the home, a safe distance away. It could be a tree, the mailbox, or some other familiar area. This is where you will take a “head count” to make sure that everyone is safely out of the home.

  4.      Practice your escape plan and make the drills realistic, hold some at night, have practice crawling under smoke. The more you practice in different situations, the better prepared you will be in the event of a fire.

 THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN PLANNING YOUR ESCAPE ROUTE.

  1.      Windows and doors should be properly maintained so that you can exit through them quickly. Do they have locks, and can everyone open them even in the dark?

  2.      If you live in a high rise building, never use the elevator – always use the stairs.

  3.      Family members with disabilities, children and older adults should be considered carefully. Children will probably need assistance exiting, especially if they are very young. Older people and those with disabilities may want to consider sleeping on the ground floor.

  4.      Always test doors before you open them by crouching down and reaching up as high as possible to feel the door and the doorknob. If they are hot, use an alternate route. If they are cool, open the door carefully and proceed with caution.

  5.      If you think someone is trapped, do not go back inside. Wait for the Fire Department and tell the firefighters where the person is most likely to be. If you are trapped, close all doors between you and the fire and wait by a window. Wave a light colored cloth or flashlight to signal firefighters. 

HOW CAN I MAKE MY HOME SAFER AND HELP PREVENT FIRE?

 The most important safety step you can take is to install and maintain Smoke Detectors. More than half of all fatal residential fires happen at night, when you are asleep. You can cut the risk in half by installing smoke detectors, testing them monthly, and changing the batteries twice a year when you change your clocks. Make sure that all members of your family know what the smoke detectors sound like.

 Try to keep any bushes and tree limbs trimmed away from windows and doors to prevent their being blocked. Make sure that no storage is pushed up against your home furnace or hot water heater. Keep excess storage to a minimum – clean out unused items regularly.

 Keep all flammable liquids away from ignition sources. Never use gasoline in the home – the vapors can travel through the home to an ignition point and cause an explosion.

 Keep matches and lighters out of children’s reach. Don’t smoke in bed. Use large, deep ashtrays and dispose of ashes outside, never in a wastebasket.

 Make sure that everyone in your family knows how to call for help by dialing 9-1-1, preferably from a neighbor’s house.

 IN THE EVENT OF A FIRE…AT THE FIRST SIGN OF FIRE

 Exit the home by the shortest route that is not blocked by smoke and/or fire. Stay low to the floor since the air there is cleaner and cooler.

 Don’t go back for anything and don’t stop for anything along the way. Don’t try to get dressed or gather possessions.

 If your clothing catches fire, don’t run – STOP, DROP AND ROLL, covering your face with your hands. Running will fan the flames, making the fire worse.