You have trusted Cintas to protect your facility, but fires do not limit themselves merely to places of business . . . follow these tips to put together a fire emergency plan for your home.

Create an Escape Plan

Carefully inspect your home and evaluate all possible escape routes. There should be at least two ways out of each room — be it a door, window, etc. Once you have drawn up an escape plan, go over it thoroughly with every resident of the household. It is critical that everyone understands and is comfortable with the plan.

If a member of your household has mobility limitations, such as an elder or young child, it is important to assign someone to assist them in escaping the home. It is also wise to assign a second individual, in case the first is not home or unable to assist when the fire occurs.

Choose a meeting place that is a safe distance from your home and include it in the escape plan. A central meeting place will help to ensure that everyone is safely out of harm’s way should a fire occur.

Install & Maintain Smoke Alarms

A smoke alarm should be present in every room where a resident sleeps. There should be at least one per floor. It is also important to know where all of the smoke detectors are throughout your household and to ensure that they are in proper functioning condition. National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) code states that the smoke alarms must be interconnected — that is, if one alarm sounds, they all sound.

Hold Regular “Fire Drills”

Once you have prepared your household’s fire escape plan, it is important to practice. The NFPA recommends practicing an escape at least twice per year.

During the drill it is important to determine if the sound of your smoke alarms will awaken everyone in the household. If a resident does not awaken immediately, somebody should be assigned to wake them up in an emergency situation.

During the escape drill, practice staying low to avoid smoke fumes. Close the door after leaving a room to slow the spread of smoke and fire. Finish the drill at your pre-determined meeting place.