Safety Escape Plans and Routes

Because fires are unpredictable, having only one escape route could limit your family and leave them trapped. It is also important for families to practice fire escape plans a few times a year. Practicing fire escape routes ensures that everyone can safely exit the home on their own in case of a fire.

Escape Plan

Basics

Include two ways out of every room in all escape plans
Designate a location to meet outside the building
Verify that smoke alarms are installed to provide early detection and warning so you’ll have enough time to execute your escape plan
Make sure doors located in your path of travel can be opened from the inside under all lighting conditions
Verify that doors located in your path of travel do not require a key to open from the inside

If your secondary escape route is a window

Make sure the window can be opened from the inside
Assure the window is large enough for you to pass through the opening
Verify the windowsill is low enough to allow you to crawl through the opening
Make sure any security bars can be opened from the inside without the use of a key, and that you can open them under all lighting conditions
Determine how you will escape if the window is above the first floor: will you purchase a rope ladder or other emergency escape device, or will you wait for the fire department to arrive and evacuate you?
Make sure sloping terrain, the location of the window, or other factors will not prevent the window from being used as a secondary escape route

Escape Routes

As a general rule, you should have two escape routes from each bedroom and each dwelling unit. The front door is usually the primary escape route, but an additional route should be available in case the primary route becomes impassable. Check to ensure each bedroom and living area has access to a secondary means of escape, for example an exterior window.

Note: Secondary escape routes from individual units are particularly important in buildings not protected by a fire sprinkler system.