Make A Fire Alarm Plan With Your Family That Includes These Elements

When the fire alarm sounds in your home, its high-pitched tone can create a feeling of panic for everyone under your roof. Feelings of panic will be few and far between, however, if you've taken the time to make a detailed fire safety plan with your family members. When the alarm sounds, it's too late to make a plan for how to proceed. By making several rules in advance for your family to follow, you'll have greater confidence that everyone will be safe — and, if the alarm proves to be false, everyone will have the chance to practice what you've planned. Here are some things to include in your plan.

Don't Collect Valuables

It's important that your family members know that they shouldn't run around collecting valuables before leaving the house upon hearing the fire alarm. It may be tempting for a teenager to grab his or her cell phone or laptop computer, for example, but any delays in getting outside could be deadly. Make sure that each of your family members commits to dropping whatever he or she is doing and going outside right away when the fire alarm sounds.

Designate An Outdoor Meeting Place

It's important for your family members to gather outdoors upon the home's fire alarm sounding. Select an area that is close enough to reach with ease, but not so close that standing in the area could be risky if the house were indeed on fire. You may wish to pick a large tree along the edge of your property line, for example. This landmark will be easy for people to find and, when you reach this spot, you can quickly count how many members of your family are in the area so that you'll know everyone has safely made it out the house.

Decide Who Will Go Inside First

Once your family members all gather in the designated meeting spot, you can look for signs of a fire. The flicker of flames from inside the house and the smell of smoke are clear indicators. You can also ask your family members if they saw any signs of a fire. For example, someone in the basement may have noticed some flames in a room. If there are no obvious signs of a fire, you can decide who will go back indoors first. An adult can enter the house and make sure there is indeed no fire. If there's any doubt, the authorities should be called right away.

For more information about fire safety in your home, contact a company like Eastern Fire.