Getting Out: Building a Reliable Escape Plan | SERVPRO of Oxford/Batesville/Clarksdale

7/1/2024 (Permalink)

Now is a great time to review your fire escape plan. Here are some tips from SERVPRO of Oxford/Batesville/Clarksdale to help!

House fires are almost always unexpected, and they typically can cause chaos in seconds as your family responds and figures out what to do first. If you don’t have a plan in place that your family can follow, it can be really dangerous or even deadly when they can’t find their way out safely. 

Creating and practicing a fire escape plan with your family is one of the most important things you can do! Follow our tips below for creating a reliable escape plan that your entire family can understand.

Creating the Specific Plan  

Every household is different, which means that every fire escape plan should be a bit different. Get a piece of paper and draw out each level of your home, including the windows and doors. 

Take your kids with you on a tour of your home to locate each escape route from every room. Don’t forget about the windows! It may seem scary or even a little irresponsible to show your kids how to open the windows in your home, but this is a good opportunity to explain window safety and responsibility while also preparing them for an emergency situation.

Once your exits have been identified, head outside and find a central meeting location that you can all easily get to. It should be far enough away from your home to be safe from the flames but easy enough to find in an emergency. Mailboxes, neighbor’s porches or the end of your driveway can all be good options.

If you live in an apartment or a multi-unit property, make sure you discuss with your children the importance of avoiding elevators during an emergency and have them locate the fire escape on each level. You also need to decide on a meeting location outside of your building, being careful to avoid busy streets or parking lots. 

Time to Practice

It’s great to have a plan, but now you need to practice! Your kids will learn best by repetition, so make it a game and practice it a few times. Have your kids pick a room to play in and act out a normal day. Push the test button on your smoke alarm and challenge your kids to get out of the house as fast as possible.

As they head out of their rooms and make their way to an exit, have them get down on their hands and knees to simulate crawling under the smoke line. It is important to explain the dangers of fire smoke and how to avoid inhaling it too deeply on the way out the door. 

Recovery Tips 

Once you are outside, pretend to call 911 and discuss with your kids what they should tell the dispatcher when the phone is answered. Doing this regularly can cement these ideas into place, just in case you need them in a true emergency.

If you do suffer from a house fire and resulting damage, call us right away so we can get started on your restoration. The faster we can get to you, the better chance you have of avoiding lasting or long-term issues like smoke odors and internal structural damage. We will clean, sanitize and restore your home quickly so you can get back to your regular life faster. 

House fires can be really scary and destructive. Let SERVPRO of Oxford/Batesville/Clarksdale help you recover.