Thousands of families a year are effected by household fires. Making sure you have an escape plan for your home is crucial to your family's safety.  We’ve partnered up with the team at Batteries Plus to provide with you some simple tips to keep you, your family and home safe in the event of a fire. Text the word ‘BATTERY” to 89000 for a free 9V battery, courtesy of Batteries Plus. Also, by texting to 89000, you will automatically be entered a contest to win a $500 gift card!

Here are the easy steps to follow to Make Your Home Escape Plan:

  1. Draw a floor plan of your home, marking all windows and doors.
  2. Ensure you have two ways out of each bedroom. The primary exit should be the door and the secondary way out can be a window.
  3. Check to make sure windows can be opened easily. In a multiple-story dwelling, plan your escape through a window onto a roof or porch. If you must use an escape ladder, be sure everyone knows how to use it. Children should practice this with an adult present.
  4. Choose a meeting place for all the family members outside the home and mark it on the floor plan. A good meeting place would be a tree, telephone pole or a neighbor’s home. Once everyone is accounted for at the meeting place, call 9-1-1. Never re-enter a burning home.
  5. When the fire department arrives, tell firefighters whether everyone is out of the house or not.
  6. Make sure everyone understands the planned escape routes.
  7. Practice your escape plan, at least twice a year. Remember, if you see smoke on your way out use your second exit. If you must escape through smoke, crawl low under it where the air is cleaner. Have family members practice using both routes.
  8. Make sure you change the batteries in your smoke alarm twice a year and test them once a month.

 

Your final escape plan should resemble the one below:

Fire Escape Plan - This is What it Should Look Like
Via Walker Michigan Twp
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The following is a great PSA video that stresses the importance of having an escape plan from FEMA.


Don’t forget to text the word ‘BATTERY” to 89000 for a free 9V battery and more helpful fire prevention tips. Also, by texting to 89000 you will automatically be entered a contest to win a $500 gift card, courtesy of our friends at Batteries Plus!

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