Your Family Needs a Fire Safety Plan

By Jan Pierce, M.Ed.

Every family needs to think seriously about keeping safe, and one of the biggest safety needs is a clear and well-rehearsed fire safety plan. The plan itself can be very simple – simple enough for the youngest member of the family to follow. The key is to intentionally make plans, practice the routine and establish a time each year to update it and make any necessary changes.

The first part of any good fire safety plan is to install smoke alarms. Some families have discovered that vocal smoke alarms work quite as well as the regular ones. A vocal alarm is a recording made by the parents or other adult family member which gives instructions in case of a fire. It may say something like, “Wake up Amy, there is a fire. Follow our plan. Stay low and go out of the window then meet us at the mailbox.” In some cases young children or even elderly adults have responded better and more quickly when hearing a familiar voice.

Here are some pieces of information to help you establish your family’s fire safety routine:

In the serious business of keeping your family safe, a well thought-out plan can make life and death differences. So make your plan, practice your plan and be sure to include annual checks and updates to it. Then, sleep well; knowing you have done all you should to keep your family members safe.