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Exit Drills In The Home (E.D.I.T.H.)
In 1995, 3640 Americans died in home fires. That's roughly 10
people a day. Tens of thousands more were injured. People can
survive even major fires in their homes if they are alerted to the
fire and get out quickly and stay out.
HOW TO SURVIVE
PLAN YOUR ESCAPE
Once a fire has started, there is no time to plan how to get out.
Sit down with your family today, and make a step-by-step plan
for escaping a fire.
Draw a floor Plan of your Home, marking two ways out of
every room - especially sleeping areas. Discuss the escape
routes with every member of your household.
Agree on a Meeting Place, where every member of the
household will gather outside your home after escaping a fire to
wait for the fire department. This allows you to count heads and
inform the fire department if anyone is missing or trapped inside
the burning building.
Practice your escape plan at least twice a year. Have a fire
drill in your home. Appoint someone to be the monitor, and have
everyone participate. A fire drill is not a race. Get out quickly,
but carefully.
MAKE YOUR EXIT DRILL REALISTIC
Pretend that some exits are blocked by fire, and practice
alternative escape routes, Pretend that the lights are out and
that some escape routes are filling with smoke.
Be Prepared
Make sure everyone in the household can unlock all doors and
windows quickly, even in the dark. Windows or doors with
security bars need to be equipped with quick-release devices,
and everyone in the household should know how to use them.
If you live in an apartment building, use stairways to escape.
NEVER use an elevator during a fire. It may stop between floors
or take you to a floor where the fire is burning. Some high-rise
buildings may have evacuation plans that require you to stay
where you are and wait for the fire department.
If you live in a multi-story house and you must escape from an
upper story window, be sure there is a safe way to reach the
ground, such as a fire-resistant fire escape ladder. Make special
arrangements for children, older adults and people with
disabilities. People who have difficulty moving should have a
phone in their sleeping area and , if possible, should sleep on
the ground floor.
Test doors before opening them.
While kneeling or crouching at the door, reach up as high as you
can and with the back of your hand touch the door, the knob,
and the crack between the door and its frame. If you feel any
warmth at all, use another escape route. If the door feels cool,
open it with caution. Put your shoulder against the door and
open it slowly. Be prepared to slam it shut if there is smoke or
flames on the other side.
If you are trapped, close all doors between you and the fire.
Stuff the cracks around the doors to keep out smoke. Wait at a
window and signal for help with a flashlight or by waving a light
colored cloth. If there is a phone in the room, call the fire
department and report exactly where you are.
GET OUT FAST . . .
In case of a fire, don't stop for anything. Do not try to rescue
possessions or pets. Go directly to your meeting place, and then
call the fire department from a neighbor's phone, a portable
phone, or an alarm box. Every member of your household should
know how to call the fire department.
Crawl low under smoke.
Smoke contains deadly gases, and heat rises. During a fire,
cleaner air will be near the floor. If you encounter smoke when
using your primary exit, use an alternative escape route. If you
must exit through smoke, crawl on your hands and knees,
keeping your head 12 to 24 inches (30 - 60 centimeters) above
the floor.
. . . and stay out
Once you are out of your home, don't go back for any reason. If
people are trapped, the firefighters have the best chance of
rescuing them. The heat and smoke of a fire are overpowering.
Firefighters have the training, experience, and protective
equipment needed to enter burning buildings.
In 1995, 3640 Americans died in home fires. That's roughly 10
people a day. Tens of thousands more were injured. People can
survive even major fires in their homes if they are alerted to the
fire and get out quickly and stay out.
HOW TO SURVIVE
- Install smoke detectors and keep them in working order.
- Make an escape plan and "practice" it.
- Consider installing an automatic fire-sprinkler system.
PLAN YOUR ESCAPE
Once a fire has started, there is no time to plan how to get out.
Sit down with your family today, and make a step-by-step plan
for escaping a fire.
Draw a floor Plan of your Home, marking two ways out of
every room - especially sleeping areas. Discuss the escape
routes with every member of your household.
Agree on a Meeting Place, where every member of the
household will gather outside your home after escaping a fire to
wait for the fire department. This allows you to count heads and
inform the fire department if anyone is missing or trapped inside
the burning building.
Practice your escape plan at least twice a year. Have a fire
drill in your home. Appoint someone to be the monitor, and have
everyone participate. A fire drill is not a race. Get out quickly,
but carefully.
MAKE YOUR EXIT DRILL REALISTIC
Pretend that some exits are blocked by fire, and practice
alternative escape routes, Pretend that the lights are out and
that some escape routes are filling with smoke.
Be Prepared
Make sure everyone in the household can unlock all doors and
windows quickly, even in the dark. Windows or doors with
security bars need to be equipped with quick-release devices,
and everyone in the household should know how to use them.
If you live in an apartment building, use stairways to escape.
NEVER use an elevator during a fire. It may stop between floors
or take you to a floor where the fire is burning. Some high-rise
buildings may have evacuation plans that require you to stay
where you are and wait for the fire department.
If you live in a multi-story house and you must escape from an
upper story window, be sure there is a safe way to reach the
ground, such as a fire-resistant fire escape ladder. Make special
arrangements for children, older adults and people with
disabilities. People who have difficulty moving should have a
phone in their sleeping area and , if possible, should sleep on
the ground floor.
Test doors before opening them.
While kneeling or crouching at the door, reach up as high as you
can and with the back of your hand touch the door, the knob,
and the crack between the door and its frame. If you feel any
warmth at all, use another escape route. If the door feels cool,
open it with caution. Put your shoulder against the door and
open it slowly. Be prepared to slam it shut if there is smoke or
flames on the other side.
If you are trapped, close all doors between you and the fire.
Stuff the cracks around the doors to keep out smoke. Wait at a
window and signal for help with a flashlight or by waving a light
colored cloth. If there is a phone in the room, call the fire
department and report exactly where you are.
GET OUT FAST . . .
In case of a fire, don't stop for anything. Do not try to rescue
possessions or pets. Go directly to your meeting place, and then
call the fire department from a neighbor's phone, a portable
phone, or an alarm box. Every member of your household should
know how to call the fire department.
Crawl low under smoke.
Smoke contains deadly gases, and heat rises. During a fire,
cleaner air will be near the floor. If you encounter smoke when
using your primary exit, use an alternative escape route. If you
must exit through smoke, crawl on your hands and knees,
keeping your head 12 to 24 inches (30 - 60 centimeters) above
the floor.
. . . and stay out
Once you are out of your home, don't go back for any reason. If
people are trapped, the firefighters have the best chance of
rescuing them. The heat and smoke of a fire are overpowering.
Firefighters have the training, experience, and protective
equipment needed to enter burning buildings.
| E.D.I.T.H. |