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Fire Drill!
Creating a Family Fire Plan for Your Home By Jamie Moore
On the night of October 18, 2001, 5-year-old Matthew Bergeron took action and helped his family escape a fire in their home in Woonsocket, R.I. The fire started when heat from a pan of boiling water melted an unlit candle placed too close to the burner. The wax ignited, and the fire quickly spread, filling the kitchen with black smoke.
Matthew, who had learned about fire safety in school the day before, stayed calm and reminded his brother, Joe, 8, and sister, Carrie, 4, to get out of the home and go to their outside meeting place. He also told them to crawl low under the smoke and reminded his mom to call 911. Ironically, the night before the fire, Matthew and his mom had developed an escape plan as part of a Risk Watch, a school-based injury prevention program, homework assignment.
If you're like most Americans, you're not as well prepared for a house fire as Matthew's family was. According to a National Fire Protection Association survey, only one-fourth of U.S. families have developed and practiced a home fire escape plan.
Having a home fire plan can make a critical difference. So if a fire does break out, your family will know exactly what to do in order to escape safely and swiftly. Here's how to get started:
1. Assess the placement of your smoke detectors – The NFPA recommends placing one on each floor and outside all sleeping areas. It's not enough to install and test them monthly. Also make sure children recognize the sound of the alarm and react immediately. "When you practice your home fire escape plan, include sounding the smoke alarm to find out if your children will awaken," says Judy Comoletti, NFPA's director of public education. "If they don't, assign an adult to wake the child and assist in their escape."
2. Draw a floor plan of your home and determine escape routes
