How to Get Your Family Prepared in The Event of a House Fire

November 7, 2007 By Matthew Paulson

Most of us had all sorts of fire-safety instruction when we were in grade-school and middle school. The nice fireman would come and visit, show us some cool equipment, and demonstrate how to stop, drop and roll. We’d have occasional fire-drills which meant an extra recess during the day and occasionally watch a fire-safety video. After some initial instruction in grade-school, very few of us ever think about fire-safety again, but the reality is that there are thousands house fires in the United States each year and we need to make sure we’re prepared in the unlikely event a fire does occur. Here’s what to do to make sure your family is ready.

Have a Plan. Make sure you know exactly how you and your children are going to get out of your home in the event of a fire. Have at least two escape routes for each family member from their bedroom. Know who’s going to call the fire-department, what to do about pets, where the children should go, and just about anything else you can think of.

Know Your Fire Extinguisher – If you have a fire-extinguisher, it’s definitely a valuable tool. You can use it to put out small fires, but they have limitations. You’ll get 15-20 seconds of pressure out of them and be able to put out a fire the size of an oven, but not much more. Always remember to shoot at the base of the fire to have the best change of putting it out.

Have Home Fire Drills. If you have young children, under the age of 15, have fire drills twice a year to keep yourself alert. It’ll be a good chance to remind children how they’re supposed to get out in the event of a fire and make sure that everyone is prepared.

Get Smoke Detectors, Lots of Them. Most modern building codes call for a smoke detector in each room of the house. Make sure that you have plenty of smoke detectors around so that you know when a fire does occur. You should have two or three in every level of your home if not more. Check the batteries every two months and make sure they’re working properly.

If you have 2nd Story Bedrooms… - It can be a lot harder to get out of a home when you have more than one story. If you only have one stair well, you should consider coming up with some sort of rope-ladder system to get out a second story window in the event of a fire.