Printable Fire Escape Plan Grid

In the case of a house fire, your homeschool family could have less than two minutes to escape once the smoke alarm sounds, so having a home fire escape plan can literally be the difference between life and death. Whether it’s Fire Prevention Week or any of the other 51 weeks of the year, the National Fire Protection Association recommends following these 7 steps for practicing your family’s escape plan.

1. Use an escape plan grid to draw a map of your home, showing all windows and doors.

2. Find two ways out of every room in your house.

3. Make sure doors and windows aren’t blocked by items on display or things like furniture or screens that are difficult to remove.

4. Choose an outside meeting place in front of your home.

5. Push the test button to sound the smoke alarms.

6. Practice your drill with everyone in the home.

7. Get outside to your meeting place.

5 Additional Safety Tips
*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 to slow the spread of smoke, heat, and fire.

*Once you get outside, stay outside. Never go back inside a burning building.