TEST YOUR EMERGENCY FIRE EXITS
More people die from home fires than any other kind of fire. Thousands of people perish every year in home fires because they don't know what to do. Hopefully your family has prepared and practiced a Home Fire Escape Plan. One important part of such a plan is locating and learning to use emergency ways out and alternate routes to safety. The Brunswick Fire Department suggests that you practice using emergency exits to make sure they are usable. It's too late to discover your window is stuck shut and won't open when a fire has occurred.
In most homes and apartments, emergency exits are usually windows or stairways. Make sure windows can be opened and that screens and storm windows can be removed from the inside. Make sure children can operate locks and know to get out quickly, not to wait for you. If they cannot get out, they should know to wait at the window for help, where the firefighters can see them. Make sure everybody learns to stay low and crawl to the nearest exit.
If bedrooms are on the second floor, provide folding ladders. Most fatal home fires begin at night while we are asleep. Escape ladders can be made of light rope. Metal ladders made for escape can be purchased at most hardware stores. Although most people plan to tie bedsheets together to form a rope, there is usually not time to do that in a fire. Jumping from second story windows can cause severe injuries.
If you live in an apartment or condominium and your enclosed stairways are your emergency exits, practice finding these in the dark. First, count the number of doors from your room to the exit stairway. You probably won't be able to see the exit sign above the door through smoke. Once in the stairway, go down to the outside. Go up to the roof only if you are forced by smoke. Most fire departments do not have helicopters ready to scoop you off rooftops. Remember, do not block the exit stairway doors open. Once smoke enters the stairway, your escape route is not safe.
Your family may have several alternate routes to take in case of fire. Make sure you practice all of them as much as possible. Fast actions are needed in a fire and trained responses help those happen.
If your family does not have a Home Fire Escape Plan, contact your local fire department for information.