Everyone needs a fire escape plan for their home. It is also a good idea that you conduct a fire drill at least once a month so this plan is fresh in everyone's minds. In fact you may want to run the plan at least once a week until you are sure that everyone in the household understands the plan.

You shouldn't just run the plan in the daytime when everyone is alert since fires are not likely to happen at these times. Rather drill at other times such as three am in the morning when there will be some confusion from being woken up; this is closer to a real life scenario that you may encounter.

First make sure you maintain your smoke detectors. Keep fresh batteries in your smoke detectors and test them to make sure they work. It is recommended that you change the batteries when you turn the clocks ahead and when you turn them back. If you have someone in your home who won't hear the smoke alarm while sleeping or if you have those who will need assistance getting out of the home then assign someone the responsibility for these people. For the hearing impaired there are strobe smoke detectors available. Resculite, Inc. carries a couple of different models on their website.

Everyone should know the quickest route out of the home. Remind everyone to crawl if the home is full of smoke rather than running or walking. Have a safe meeting spot set up at a safe distance from the home. This makes it easier to account for everyone. Make sure guests are aware of your fire escape plan if they are going to be staying with you. If you are staying with someone else be sure to ask them about their fire escape plan and if they don't have one you can always help them create one.

If you have pets it is a good idea to leave a door open when you exit the home so they can get out as well. Most pets will run out of the home. You shouldn't go looking for the pets unless you can grab them on the way out.

It is also a good idea not to waste time grabbing valuables around the home that aren't worth getting killed for. If you have something you really need to protect then it is a good idea to invest in a fireproof safe to keep them protected in case of a fire. You should always have several fire extinguishers in the home especially in the kitchen. A fire extinguisher can help you put out small fires and at least slow down a bigger fire while giving others time to escape the home. Just remember don't risk your life trying to put out a big fire with a fire extinguisher.

If you have security bars on your windows you should make sure they have a quick release function so that everyone can escape from the window. If windows are the escape route make sure everyone knows how to open them. If these windows are high up be sure to invest in a fire escape ladders. Resculite, Inc also has a very nice selection of these on their website.

Practicing these things will help protect you and your family in the event of a fire. So practice them regularly.