Safety Tips: Emergency Escape Planning

Every year, there are over 330,000 home fires in the U.S., resulting in nearly 3,000 deaths and over 10,000 injuries. These numbers can be dramatically reduced with a solid escape plan for your family.

Fire spreads quickly, often giving you as little as two minutes to escape once alerted. Early warning from smoke alarms and a well-prepared escape plan are essential. Here are key tips for creating your home escape plan:

• Early warning is critical—install at least one smoke alarm on every level of your home, ideally in hallways and near bedrooms to ensure it’s heard by sleeping family members
• Identify all exits in each room, ensuring at least two routes (windows and doors) are available. Check for obstacles such as furniture, clutter, difficult locks or security bars that could block your escape
• For safety, ensure security bars have a quick-release mechanism for easy exit without compromising security. Hurricane shutters should only be in place during storms and removed afterward—don’t leave them up during hurricane season, as they can trap you inside during a fire
• Choose a safe meeting place outside the home, like a neighbor’s house or a nearby mailbox, where everyone can gather after escaping
• For homes with infants, elderly or mobility-impaired residents, designate someone to assist them during an emergency
• Document your plan with a floor plan, marking all exits and your meeting spot
• Ensure your house number is clearly visible from the street to help emergency responders locate your home quickly

• Start by teaching everyone how to dial 911 and recite your address and phone number. Then, hold a family meeting to walk through the plan, identify all exits and address any questions. End the meeting at your outdoor meeting place and ask for feedback to make sure everyone feels confident
• Schedule regular practice drills—young children will enjoy the activity, while teenagers may complain, but their participation is crucial. Start with a daytime drill, then try one at night when everyone is asleep. This will help you assess how well family members respond to the sound of the alarm
• Remember to practice crawling low to the ground, as the cleaner air is typically about two feet from the floor in a smoke-filled environment

By practicing your fire escape plan, you ensure the safety of your family in an emergency.