Home Fire Drill

11/4/2022 (Permalink)

If fire or water damage strikes your home or business, give SERVPRO of Spencer & Iowa Great Lakes a call. We are on call 24/7.

Fire can spread rapidly through your home, leaving you and your family as little as one or two minutes to escape safely once the smoke alarms sound. House fires can be highly dangerous and even deadly, so it’s important for everyone in your family to be aware of proper fire prevention and safety. Fire drills help prepare family members to respond quickly, calmly, and safely. Whether your home has one floor or three, it’s essential that you and your family are prepared to respond to a fire alarm.

Make an Escape Plan

• Learn two ways out of every room in your home, in case one exit is blocked or dangerous to use. A second way out can include an escape ladder for rooms on an upper level.
• Practice getting low and moving to your exits in case there is smoke.
• Choose a safe meeting place a safe distance from your home.
• Practice a home fire drill at least twice a year.

Children and Fire Safety

• Have a plan in place for young children who cannot get outside by themselves.
• Children should know what to do when they hear a smoke alarm and there is no adult around to help. Practice going to the outside meeting place.
• Make sure your children know to NEVER go back inside a burning building. Once they are out, STAY OUT!
• Teach them to stay low and crawl on the ground, where the air is less smoky.
• Teach your child to use the back of their hand to check doors for heat before opening and to use a different way out if the door is hot.
• If your child needs to use an escape ladder, show them where it is located and how to use it.
• Teach everyone in your home how and when to use 911.

Practice Home Fire Drill

• Know where to go. Go over your safe meeting place. Explain to children that when the smoke alarm beeps, they need to get out quickly and meet at the safety spot.
• Test your smoke alarms. Check your smoke alarms to ensure they are working properly. Make sure to change the batteries at least twice a year.
• Practice the drill. Practicing your home fire evacuation plan can help your family feel more confident if a house fire occurs.

House fire safety comes down to preventing, planning, and practicing. Even if you follow the best home fire prevention strategies, accidents happen….so be prepared! If a fire breaks out in your home, you and your family may only have seconds to escape. Plan and practice your escape drill to ensure you and your family have the best chance to evacuate safely in the event of a fire. If disaster strikes, call SERVPRO of Spencer & Iowa Great Lakes. We specialize in the cleanup and restoration of residential and commercial property after a fire, smoke, or water damage event. We can handle any size disaster!