BUILDING EVACUATION ROUTES
It’s vitally important that everyone in your family knows the safest route to exit your home if there is a fire or other emergency
that require home evacuation. Added to this is the importance for each of us to be familiar with evacuation routes and procedures
for our workplace. If your home is small, it may seem to be a simple matter but there are still some vital details that should
be addressed and added to your home evacuation drills:
1. What is the most direct route to exit the building?
2. What if the most direct route is blocked?
3. Has everyone considered that they may be forced to exit through
a window?
4. Does everyone know how to remove window screens?
5. Do you have evacuation
ladders for second story windows?
6. Can everyone evacuate in total darkness or heavy smoke?
7. Does everyone know to stay low during when heavy smoke is present?
8. Does everyone know how to test a closed
door for heat and fire?
9. Is there a flashlight in every bedroom?
10. Are your smoke and carbon monoxide
detectors operational? Do you test them often?
11. Does your family know what to do if there’s a home invasion? When
should they hide and when should they evacuate?
12. Have you established an outdoor meeting place for after an evacuation?
Be
sure to review the Building Evacuation Drills section of this site. Practice drills often.
In some cases, it may be necessary
to draw out and post you building evacuation routs. This becomes particularly important if you live in an apartment building
or large, complex home. Remember that in case of an emergency, you may not exit as you normally would. If your building
is equipped with fire escapes, you may need to familiarize everyone with their locations and operation.
Evacuation Awareness
Outside
of your home, it’s a good practice to exercise evacuation awareness. This means that you should make it a habit to be constantly
aware of your surroundings and always know the quickest evacuation route from your present location. We spend so much of our
time at the workplace, in stores and other public buildings. If an emergency arises, you may need to quickly exit the building
to get to safety. Being aware of the nearest exit could save your life. Some forethought about your actions in the case
of an active shooter, fire or other emergency will keep you from having to figure things out under stress. Added to this is
the very real possibility that you may find yourself in a position to help others if you are mentally prepared.
