Create a Fire Escape Plan with These Easy Steps

This year marks the 95th anniversary of the National Fire Protection Association’s Fire Prevention Week. It's no secret that we care about safety here at Aqua, so it should come as no surprise we're also fans of fire prevention.

The safety of you and your family should always be a top priority, so in honor of the occasion, we want to help you create a fire escape plan (that you’ll hopefully never have to use). Follow these simple steps to ensure you’re prepared in the case of a fire—it’ll be more than worth your time in the long run.

STEP 1: DRAW A MAP AND FIND YOUR EXITS

 Whether at work or at home, it is essential to have a fire escape plan in mind. To better envision your plan, use a grid to draw out the rooms in your building or home and identify two exits in each room. You can click here to access a printable checklist and grid to help you draw out your fire escape plan. The NFPA also offers resources in Spanish.

STEP 2: MAKE SURE YOUR EXITS ARE ACCESSIBLE

Not every room has two exit doors, which means that sometimes, your second exit will be a window. In the event of an actual fire, you don’t want to be held up clearing off your windowsill or struggling to open your window. Make sure you can easily execute your escape plan by opening paths to all exits and keeping window sills decluttered. If you live on the second floor or higher, you should consider keeping a fire escape ladder near your windows to ensure you can easily escape. 

Always locate two exits from every room in your home. (Image via NFPA)

STEP 3: CHOOSE AN OUTSIDE MEETING SPACE NEAR YOUR HOME

In the case of a fire, once you are outside of your home, you and your family will want a safe place to meet. Make sure everyone agrees on a meeting place with a clear identifier such as a tree, bush, stop sign or parking lot. The important thing is that the meeting place is a safe distance from your home and can be easily found. 

STEP 4: PLAN TO CALL 911

In the event of a real emergency, once you safely make it to the meeting place, call 911 to report the fire. (Do not call 911 if you are just practicing your escape plan—only call if there is a real emergency.) If you do not have a phone with you, ask to use a neighbor’s phone or locate a local business and ask to use theirs.

STEP 5: PRACTICE YOUR PLAN 

Image via NFPA

Now that you have a preventative fire escape plan, it’s important to remember that the plan won’t do you much good if you can’t remember it in case of a real fire. That’s why it is important to practice your fire escape plan with your family twice a year.

We hope that this simple step-by-step tutorial will help you and your family create a fire escape plan. Since safety is always a priority at Aqua, we’d also like to thank the local fire departments who work tirelessly to keep our communities and neighbors safe across all eight of the states in which we operate.