How to Conduct Fire Safety Drills at Home

Fire is one of those rare things that people prepare for but wish that it would never happen. People would learn about fire safety and protection but pray that they never get to face an ordeal that would require them to put this knowledge into use. But even though fire is one of the scariest things that can ever happen to anyone, take comfort in knowing that you are prepared for such disaster enough to survive it.

At home, one good way to prepare for the possibility of a fire emergency is to conduct fire training drills. As the head of the family, you are in charge of keeping your family safe at all times. And while you do everything to ensure that fire hazards are minimized in your home, you still need to be prepared for the possibility that it may occur. Conducting fire drills regularly will help sharpen up your family’s evacuation skills.

Here are the steps on how to conduct a fire drill at home.

Step 1 – Create a fire evacuation plan

Sit down with the whole family and formulate a comprehensive escape route plan for the home. Be sure that it is simple and easy enough for everyone (even by the little kids in the family) to understand. Provide clear routes for escape. Every floor should have more than one escape route, as there can be many sources of fire and it is possible that the main evacuation route is blocked.

Step 2 – Designate a meeting area outside the home

Choose a safe meeting outside the home where everyone should go to during a fire drill or an actual fire emergency. This way, it would be easier to detect if somebody is trapped inside the burning house and the firefighters can rescue that person immediately.

Step 3 – Prepare emergency kit

A fire emergency kit should contain a list of emergency contact numbers, fire blankets, clothing, bottled water, flashlights, cell phone, whistle, white hanky (to hang in the window to signal firefighters) and other items that can help the people escape the premises or call for help. Store the kit in a place close to the designated meeting spot.

Step 4 – Conduct fire drills

Do not tell the family that you are conducting a fire drill and catch them by surprise. You can also put up signs of “this exit is blocked with fire” on some (but not all) of the escape routes to make it closer to the real thing. It would also be best that they crawl their way out as what they should do in an actual fire emergency.

More Reminders

Put smoke detectors in every level of the house. Install in each bedroom, in the hallway, in the basement, and in every crucial area of your home. Be sure that your smoke detectors are hardwired with a battery backup. Purchase fire safety ladders if your home has a second floor. The fire drill should include practice of using these ladders especially the children.

Conducting fire drills may be tedious and time-consuming for some. But if you think about its worth and how it can save the lives of people who matter most to you, you would not mind exerting extra time and effort.

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