Being Prepared for a Fire: Have a Plan

6/12/2019 (Permalink)

Working in the Fire and Water Restoration industry, SERVPRO understands the devastating effects fire can have on a property. We also know too well that fires can be fatal. In many cases families do not have plans to follow in case of a fire. When fire strikes, you must act quickly to not only help reduce the extent of damage to your property, but also to keep your loved ones and pets safe from harm. For this reason, SERVPRO recommends all households have a plan set in place in case of a fire.

The first step is creating your plan. This will involve sitting down with your family, especially your children, so that everyone is aware of the plan. For each room in your home, there should be 2 specified exit points, such a doors or windows. Part of the plan will be explaining to your children that if one route is blocked—by smoke or fire—they should try the other route. The best way to do this is to draw a map that shows all exits. The plan should also specify a meeting place for everyone to gather after leaving the home. This meeting place should be a safe distance from your home. At this meeting place, you will then want to call 911—don’t stay in the home to call 911 and don’t go back inside.

Once you have your plan in place, reminders about your plan throughout the year can be helpful in remaining prepared at a moment’s notice. Practicing your fire drill with your children will help them better understand what to do and to keep calm if a fire occurs.

Of course, it is also import to teach your family about the importance of fire safety. This means teaching them that they should stop, drop, and roll if their clothing catches fire; crawl close to your baseboards to avoid smoke inhalation; and always listen to instructions from officials such as police or firefighters.

Call SERVPRO today for more fire safety tips!