Three keys to home fire safety
While many people practice fire drills at work or school, few practice at home — where most fires occur.
Making sure your family stays safe in the event of a fire starts with having an effective home fire drill
in place. With these tips, you can start making a fire safety plan for your family.
1 2 3
Make a home escape plan
Create a home fire drill and draw
out the plan as a family.
Make sure to:
• Outline at least two escape
routes from every room
• Mark the locations of
smoke alarms
• Pick a safe meeting place outside
where everyone should meet
• Assign an adult to help
young children or anyone
needing assistance
Practice your home fire drill
Practice your fire drill at least
twice a year, at both day and night.
During your drill, try to:
• Get to your safe meeting place in
less than two minutes
• Stay out of the home and leave
everything behind
• Get used to staying low, as if
avoiding smoke
Stay prepared
Keeping your family safe starts by
staying prepared. Do the following
to make sure you’re ready:
• Install smoke alarms near
sleeping areas and on every entry
level of the home
• Post your home fire drill plan in
place where the entire family can
view it
• Test your smoke alarms regularly
of parents have created
a fire escape plan with
their family.2
of parents say they
regularly practice home
21 fire drills.1 47% ONLY % ONLY
1, 2 “Make Safe Happen Study,” Nielsen (December 2015), p. 23-30.
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