Home Evacuation Plans can be useful for many different types of disasters: hurricanes, tsunamis, and statistically more common, house fires. Home Evacuation Plans can be life-saving for you and the ones you love.

Everyone in your family should know the plan, even the little ones, so set aside an evening when the whole family can get together to make your emergency escape plan. Follow these simple steps and you will be ready for evacuation.

Home Map Example

The first thing we are going to focus on is making a map of your home. On the map of your home you should consider including the following:
  • Label every exit which may become a potential fire escape
  • In every room, label the primary exit and a secondary exit in case the primary exit is blocked
  • Label every room where a family member sleeps
  • Label the main shutoff valves of the gas, electricity, and water lines
  • Establish a safe meeting place outside the home so everyone can be accounted for
  • Label where all smoke detectors and fire extinguishers are located
  • Try to limit evacuation procedures to three or four steps
The U.S. Fire Administration has a handout available that could be very helpful as you create your own Home Evacuation Plan. That handout and more reminders can be found here.

In part two we will talk about the importance of practicing your home escape plan.

Click here for part two of the Creating a Home Evacuation Plan series.
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2 comments

JD survivalist

JD survivalist

This map idea is great. It might be good to practice gathering everyone and exiting to see how long it takes. I just wish cats were easier to gather. Oh well…

Maria

Maria

I love the idea for a map of the house! I just replaced our smoke detector batteries and also ordered Smoke Hoods for everyone to keep in their rooms. The map is next!

Thank you for the great information!

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