Plan ahead on how to escape your house during a fire

It’s the middle of the night. You and your family are sound asleep when suddenly the smoke alarms in your house go off. It’s dark and the house is filling quickly with smoke. You cannot see your hand in front of your face. Family members are screaming and panicking.

Fire experts say you have about two minutes to get out safely. Would you and your family know what to do?

By planning ahead, everyone would know what to do and where to go if there is a fire, since you may have only a few minutes to get out safely once the smoke alarm sounds.

What to do ahead of time:

• Make a home escape plan. Draw a map of your home showing all doors and windows. Discuss the plan with everyone in your home.

• Know at least two ways out of every room, if possible. Make sure all doors and windows leading outside open easily.

• Have an outside meeting place – like a tree, light pole or mailbox – a safe distance from the home where everyone should meet.

• Practice your home fire drill at night and during the day with everyone in your home, twice a year.

• Practice using different ways out.

• Teach children how to escape on their own in case you can’t help them.

• Close doors behind you as you leave.

If the alarm sounds:

• If the smoke alarm sounds, get out and stay out. Never go back inside for people or pets.

• If you have to escape through the smoke. Get low and go under the smoke to your way out.

• Call the fire department from outside your home.

Home escape plan facts:

• According to a National Fire Protection Association survey, only one of every three Americans households have actually developed and practiced a home fire escape plan.

• While 71 percent of Americans have an escape plan in case of a fire, only 45 percent of those have practiced it.

• One-third of American households who made an estimate thought they would have at least six minutes before a fire in their home would become life-threating. The time available is often less. And only eight percent said their first thought on hearing a smoke alarm would be to get out!

To learn more about escape planning visit the National Fire

Protection Association website at http://www.nfpa.org/education or contact the Joint Base San Antonio fire prevention offices.

For JBSA-Fort Sam Houston, call 221-2727; at JBSA-Lackland, call 671-2921; and at JBSA-Randolph, call 652-6915.