Have a fire escape plan Published Oct. 9, 2007 By Byron Cross Fire chief, Cannon Air Force base CANNON AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. -- The Cannon fire department is joining forces with the National Fire Protection Association and thousands of fire departments across North America to commemorate Fire Prevention Week, October 9-15. This year's theme is "Practice Your Escape Plan". What would you do if you heard your smoke detector going off? How would you get out of your house? Do your kids know how to get out and where to go? Knowing the answers to these questions can save your life and the lives of you family and friends. The best answer is to have a home fire escape plan. And once you have one, practice it. Only 23 percent of households have developed and practiced a home fire escape plan to escape quickly and safely. This is a concern because one-third of American households think they have at least 6 minutes before a fire in their homes becomes life threatening. The time available is often much less. Only eight percent said their first thought on hearing a smoke alarm would be to get out. Your ability to get out depends on advance warning from smoke alarms and advance planning. The following is a list of things people can do to develop and practice an escape plan. Here are a few things: · Get everybody together and make a plan. Walk through your home and inspect all possible exits and escape routes. Households with children should consider drawing a floor, marking two ways out of each room, including windows and doors. Also, mark the location of each smoke alarm. This is a great way to get children involved in fire safety in a non-threatening way. · Everyone must then understand the escape plan. When you walk through your plan, check to make sure the escape routes are clear and doors and windows can be opened easily. · Choose an outside meeting place such as a neighbor's house, a mailbox, or a stop sign. Make sure it is a safe distance from your home. Mark the location of the meeting place on your escape plan. · See if your street number is clearly visible from the road. · Have everyone memorize the emergency phone number of the fire department, so any family member of the household can call it from a neighbor's home or a cellular phone once safely outside. · If there are infants, older adults, or family members with mobility limitations, make sure someone is assigned to assist them in the fire drill or an emergency. Assign a backup person too, in case that person is not home during the emergency. · Tell guests or visitors to your home about your family's fire escape plan. When staying overnight at other people's homes, ask about their escape plan. If they don't have a plan in place, offer to help them make one. This is especially important when children are permitted to attend "sleep overs" at friends' homes. · Be fully prepared for a real fire: when a smoke alarm sounds, get out immediately. · Once you're out, stay out! Under no circumstances should you ever go back into a burning building. If someone is missing, inform the fire department dispatcher when you call. Firefighters have the skills and equipment to perform rescues. Put your plan to the test · Practice escape plan twice a year and make the drill as realistic as possible. · Make arrangements for anyone who is disabled. · Allow children to master fire escape planning and practice before holding a fire drill at night when they are sleeping. The object is to practice, not to frighten, so telling children there will be a drill before they go to bed can be as effective as a surprise drill. · Determine if children and others can readily waken to the sound of the smoke alarm. If not, make sure that someone is assigned to wake them up as part of the drill and in a real emergency situation. · If your home has two floors, every family member (including children) must be able to escape from the second floor rooms. Escape ladders near windows provide an additional escape route. Review the manufacturer's instructions so you'll be able to use a safety ladder in an emergency. Practice setting up the ladder from a first floor window to make sure you can do it correctly and quickly. Children should only practice with a grown-up, and only from a first-story window. Store the ladder near the window, in an easily accessible location. You don't want to have to search for it during a fire. · Always choose the escape route that is safest - the one with the least amount of smoke and heat - but be prepared to escape under toxic smoke if necessary. When you do your fire drill, everyone in the family should practice getting low and going under the smoke to your exit. · Closing doors on your way out slows the spread of fire, giving you more time to safely escape. · In some cases, smoke or fire may prevent you from exiting your home or apartment building. To prepare for this emergency, practice "sealing yourself in for safety" as part of your home fire escape plan. Close all doors between you and the fire. Use duct tape or towels to seal the door cracks and cover air vents to keep smoke from coming in. If possible, open your windows at the top and bottom so fresh air can get in. Call the fire department to report your exact location. Wave a flashlight or light-colored cloth at the window to let the fire department know where you are. Following these tips can protect you and your family. Take time to develop and practice a home fire escape plan. If you have any questions or would like any training or information, contact the Base Fire Prevention Office 784-4077 or 784-4490.