DOES your family have an evacuation plan in case of a house fire? You should. Having a fire escape plan and practising it at home can make the difference between getting out alive or a family tragedy, says the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs.
Here's a checklist to help get you thinking about a safe exit strategy:
-- Know where the smoke alarms are in your home. There should be one on every floor and in every sleeping room.
-- How old are your smoke alarms? If you've had them for a decade or longer, they should be replaced.
-- Do the batteries in your smoke alarms work? Test the batteries once a month and replace them every year.
-- Clear doorways and hallways of clutter so you can quickly get to every outside door in your home.
-- Make sure every door and window in your home opens and closes properly.
-- If possible, identify two exits from every room on your home fire escape plan.
-- Identify an outside family meeting place.
Make sure every family member understands the fire escape plan, and remember to practise it.
Checklist courtesy of safeathome.ca.
-- Postmedia News
