Be prepared for an emergency

Emergencies can happen at anytime, are you prepared? Whether it’s a house fire, vehicle break down, weather emergencies or natural disaster we can’t avoid them happening, but we can be better prepared if and when they do happen. As children many of our parents had a house fire drills. Do you remember having fire drills at school? We might have thought it was crazy then, but as adults we understand the importance much more. Do you have a fire emergency plan for your home? Have you taught your children what to do in the event of a fire?

Here are some tips to follow for making your own Home Fire Escape Plan:

Draw a map of your home. Show all doors and windows.
Visit each room. Find two ways out
All windows and doors should open easily. You should be able to use them to get outside.
Make sure your home has smoke alarms. Push the test button to make sure each alarm is working.
Pick a meeting place outside. It should be in front of your home.
Make sure your house or building number can be seen from the street.
Talk about your plan with everyone in your home.
Learn the emergency phone number for your fire department
Practice your home fire escape drill

Another way to be prepared for any emergency that may happen is to have a emergency contact list. This is a great way for your family to be prepared. Keep a copy of your list in your emergency supply kit or another safe place where you can easily access in the event of an emergency.

Here is a link to a template that your family can use to get your emergency plan started. Just download and save this to your computer for your own use.