If a fire broke out in the middle of the night, would you and your family be able to escape safely? Although most Americans believe they could get out alive, according to NFPA's 1997 Home Fire Escape Survey, only a small number (16%) have actually developed and practiced a home fire escape plan to ensure they could escape quickly and safely.
Some 4,000 fire deaths occur in U.S. homes every year, and too often it's because people did not, or could not, get out of a burning home in time. Developing and practicing a home fire escape plan is the key to survival.
The elements of an effective home fire escape plan include the following:
Everyone, including preschoolers, can be taught the basics of fire escape. If there are infants or family members with mobility limitations, someone in the household should plan to assist them. Also make sure that doors needed for escape can be opened easily, and that windows are not nailed or painted shut. The most important thing to remember is to react to the sound of a smoke alarm immediately and make getting out your top priority.
This year, in conjunction with fire departments throughout the U.S. and Canada, NFPA is seeking to increase the number of families that are prepared to escape a home fire by encouraging them to practice their home fire drills during "The Great Escape" North American unified fire drill on Wednesday, October 6 at 7 p.m.
NFPA, the official sponsor of Fire Prevention Week for more than 75 years, launched "The Great Escape" in 1998 as a three-year public awareness initiative that encourages people across North America to develop and physically practice a home fire escape plan. We already know it's working -- some 250,000 families implemented their escape plans during the first-ever unified fire drill last October, and 20 lives saved as a direct result have already been documented.