A guide to creating a home Evacuation Plan
Just like in the workplace or in any public space, it’s also important to have a home evacuation plan in case of an emergency.
Whether it’s a fire, flood, earthquake, or any other disaster, having a home evacuation plan can mean the difference between serious harm or injury, and your loved ones remaining safe. Here’s a 5-step guide to help you create an effective emergency evacuation plan for your home:
1. Assess your home
The first step of creating a solid evacuation plan is to assess your home and identify all possible exit routes. Look for all doors, windows, and other routes that could be used for evacuation, and consider the parts of our home that could create obstacles for evacuation, for example: any furniture or general clutter that’s blocking doorways. It’s important to ensure that exit routes are clear so you can smoothly evacuate your home at all times. This step will become critical when it comes to creating a safe evacuation plan.
2. Find your meeting points
Next, identify two or three meeting points outside your home for your family, or any other residents or visitors who frequent the property. These should be safe and easily accessible locations, such as a neighbour’s house or a nearby park. Make sure everyone in your household knows where these meeting points are.
3. Consider everyone’s role, responsibilities and needs
Assign responsibilities to each member of your household. For example, one person can be in charge of grabbing your emergency kit. Someone else can be in charge of ensuring pets escape. Assigning responsibilities helps ensure that everyone knows what to do during an emergency.
It’s also very important to consider the cognitive and physical abilities of each person in your household. Whether that’s related to age or disability, it’s important to ask: can that person be expected to escape safely on their own? If the answer is no, then it might be a good idea to create a Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan (PEEP), for those individuals.
4. Practice, practice, practice!
Practise your home evacuation plan with your family, flatmates or anyone else you reside with. Practise different scenarios: for example, if a fire breaks out in the living room or if an earthquake strikes in the middle of the night. Make sure to practise evacuating through all possible exit routes. Doing what you can to create a practice scenario in your home can be useful in “drilling” in the information.
5. Don’t forget to update your plan
It’s a great idea to review and update your home evacuation plan every six months or whenever there is a significant change in your household or living situation. For example, if you get a new pet or move to a new house, you should update your plan accordingly. It’s also a good idea to check that clutter hasn’t gotten in the way of your emergency evacuation routes from time to time, and to assess the needs of individuals in the household as these might change.
6. Further tips to for a smoother evacuation plan
- Keep a list of emergency contacts, including emergency services, family members, neighbours, and friends, in an easily accessible location
- Prepare an emergency kit that includes basic supplies such as water, medication, a first-aid kit, a torch, and batteries. Keep the kit in a designated location that is easily accessible
- If you have young children, make sure to practise your home evacuation plan with them and explain to them why it’s important to have a this plan
- Consider installing smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, and fire extinguishers in your home to help prevent emergencies.
The team at Fire Block Plans are dedicated to providing high-quality, custom-designed fire block plans that meet your specific needs and exceed your expectations. Don’t wait until it’s too late! Contact us today to take the first step towards a safer home or workplace.