Why a Home Fire Evacuation Plan is Important

October 7-13, 2018, is Fire Prevention Week, which is the perfect opportunity to practice (or devise) a fire evacuation plan for your household.

A fire can be devastating, easily causing thousands of dollars in property damage, not to mention the lasting physical, emotional or psychological effects it can have on a family. An evacuation plan can help everyone in the house understand what to do and where to go if a fire breaks out. You may not be able to save your home or all the contents, but if you have a plan in place, you significantly increase the odds of getting all family members out safely. Remember—timing is everything, as you may literally only have a few minutes to get out.

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) is a great resource for developing an evacuation plan for your home. According to an NFPA study, only one of every three households in America has developed and utilized a fire evacuation plan. Every member of your family should be involved in creating one for your home and understand how to use it. Below are some general fire safety tips:

• Make sure your home has smoke detectors in every bedroom, kitchen (away from the stove), and living room—ideally every floor in your home should have at least one smoke detector.
• Encourage everyone to know two ways out of every room in the house.
• Designate a meeting place in front of your house for everyone to gather when they leave the house.
• Test your smoke detectors at least twice a year (a good rule of thumb is to test them when the clocks are changed during Daylight Savings Time).
• Once your escape plan is developed, test its effectiveness with a drill once or twice a year—once at night and once during the day.
• If your smoke detector does go off, leave immediately and don’t go back in for any reason. You may not make it out a second time.
• Call the fire department from a safe space outside your home.

Practicing good fire safety is everyone’s responsibility. It only takes a few minutes to develop a plan that could prevent a tragedy.

Most homeowners' insurance includes coverage for loss or damage related to fire. You can also purchase fire insurance for additional protection. This extra coverage helps with the costs of repair, replacement, or reconstruction of property above and beyond what your homeowners' policy covers.