LOGAN TOWNSHIP UNITED FIRE DEPARTMENT CONTACT FIRE SAFETY CENTER ABOUT FLEET JOIN RESOURCES NEWS DONATE Home Fire Escape Planning SHARE Your ability to get out depends on advance warning from smoke alarms and advance planning. Fire can spread rapidly through your home, leaving you as little as one or two minutes to escape safely once the alarm sounds. Pull together everyone in your household and make a plan. Walk through your home and inspect all possible exits and escape routes. Households with children should consider drawing a floor plan of your home, marking two ways out of each room, including windows and doors. Also, mark the location of each smoke alarm. Here are some tips for helping you with your home fire escape plan! Fire drills are important for all homes, including apartment buildings and other high-rise structures. You need to know the basics of escape planning, from identifying two ways out of every room to getting low and going under smoke, and the importance of practicing how you would respond in an emergency. Be aware that sometimes the safest thing you can do in a tall building fire is to stay put and wait for the firefighters. To increase fire safety for apartment dwellers, NFPA offers the following guidelines: Know the plan Make sure that you’re familiar with your building’s evacuation plan, which should illustrate what residents are supposed to do in the event of an emergency. The evacuation plan should be posted in places where all residents can see and review it, and the building management should hold a fire drill with occupants at least once a year. Most states also require that buildings periodically test their fire safety systems as well. Be sure to participate when your building drills take place. When looking for an apartment or high-rise home, look for one with an automatic sprinkler system. Sprinklers can extinguish a home fire in less time that it takes for the fire department to arrive. Practice is key Whether your building has one floor or 50, it’s essential that you and your family are prepared to respond to a fire alarm. Identify all of the exits in your building and if you are using an escape planning grid, mark them on your escape plan. Make sure to mark the various stairways too, in case one is blocked by fire. Never use the elevator In case of fire, always use the stairs to get out, never the elevator. Make sure to practice using the stairs as part of your escape plan. If someone in your family has difficulty climbing down steps, make sure to incorporate a contingency for this into your plan. Stay low Smoke from a fire is toxic and deadly no matter what kind of structure you live in. When you hold your fire drill, everyone in the family should practice getting low and going under the smoke to the exit. In the event of a fire, if both stairwells are filled with smoke, stay in your apartment and wait for the firefighters. Seal yourself in for safety If you can’t exit an apartment building due to smoke or fire in the hallway, call the fire department to report your exact location and gather in a room with a window to await their arrival. Close all doors between you and the fire. Use duct tape or towels to create a seal around the door and over air vents in order to keep smoke from coming in. Stay by the window If possible, you should open your windows at the top and the bottom so fresh air can get in. Don’t break the window – if smoke enters the room from outside the building, you won’t be able to protect yourself. Signal to firefighters Wave a flashlight or light colored cloth at the window to let the fire department know where you are located. Make Every Second Count! – Helpful Hints Draw a map of your home by using this grid in English (PDF) or Spanish (PDF) with all members of your household, marking two exits from each room and a path to the outside from each exit. Practice your home fire drill twice a year. Conduct one at night and one during the day with everyone in your home, and practice using different ways out. Teach children how to escape on their own in case you can’t help them. Make sure the number of your home is clearly marked and easy for the fire department to find. Close doors behind you as you leave – this may slow the spread of smoke, heat, and fire. Once you get outside, stay outside. Never go back inside a burning building. Downloadable Resources Have a Fire Drill: Escape Planning Grid Have a Fire Drill Bookmark Up in Smoke Poster Up in Smoke Flyer Home Safety Checklist Every Second Counts: Plan 2 Ways Out How to Make a Home Fire Escape Plan Quick Tips to Share Share these graphics with your family and friends! We encourage you to print these and also share on social media. Source for Content: National Fire Protection Association and U.S. Fire Administration SHARE Fire Safety Center OVERVIEW FEATURED TOPICS SEASONAL TOPICS TOPICS BY AUDIENCE MORE TOPICS Latest News Firefighter Ryan Kimberling Promoted to Highest Boy Scout Rank Firefighter Nate Causer Joins the U.S. Army Support for Annual Chicken BBQ Blueberry Sale First Round of Tasty Dinners On Facebook Logan Township United Fire Department 611 Grandview Road Altoona, PA 16601 ABOUT FLEET JOIN RESOURCES NEWS DONATE PHONE Emergency: 911 Station 18: (814) 943-2668 Station 14: (814) 944-4121 MEMBERS LOGIN ALL CONTENT, INCLUDING ALL IMAGES AND PHOTOGRAPHY EXCEPT AS SPECIFICALLY NOTED. COPYRIGHT LOGAN TOWNSHIP UNITED FIRE DEPARTMENT. HEADER IMAGERY COPYRIGHT 2019 K.R BOWERS PHOTOGRAPHY.