Twitter
Facebook
A fire-safe family knows just what to do in the event of a home fire because they have a plan and practice exit drills in the home — E.D.I.T.H. Below are ways to help keep your family fire-safe.
Create a fire escape plan:
• Start by drawing a floorplan of your home on a piece of paper. Then draw in all doors and windows. Your children can use crayons to draw in beds, tables and other furniture.
• In one color, draw a line that shows the primary way out of each room. In different color, draw another line that shows the secondary way out.
• Pick a meeting place outside of your home where everyone can gather after they have left the burning building.
• Hold home fire drills and make them realistic by pretending some exits are blocked by smoke or fire. Hold your drills in the evening since kids can get disoriented in the dark and fires often happen at night.
• Children may need assistance escaping, so make this part of your plan.
• Make sure everyone knows that once you’re out, stay out. Never go back inside a burning building.
• Now that you have your fire escape plan, make sure everyone in the family practices it at least every six months.
Escape tips:
• Close doors behind you as you escape to slow the spread of fire and smoke.
• If you have to escape through smoke, crawl while keeping your head one to two feet above the floor where the air will be cleanest.
• Test doorknobs and spaces around closed doors with the back of your hand. If the door is warm, try another escape route. If it is cool, open it slowly. Immediately shut the door if smoke comes through.
In next month’s article we will talk about living in single family, multi-story housing in Germany.
Kaiserslautern Military Community Fire Emergency Services is always available to assist. If you have any questions, contact the Fire Prevention Office at 480-5940.
