How To Evacuate a Building Safely
If a fire causes you to evacuate your home, you should ensure you and your family know how to quickly efficiently and safely get out of your property as this will give you the best chance of getting out unharmed. Simple mistakes can cause injury, whilst others could even be fatal, so make sure your household fully understands safe evacuation procedures with these five simple tips.
Remain calm
One of the most important things to remember when evacuating your home is to remain calm. If you begin to panic or rush you instantly heighten the risk of any dangers present and put yourself and others around you, at a much higher risk of injury.
When talking to your children about fire safety you should make sure they are aware of being quiet and relaxed in an evacuation and you should also tell them to avoid shouting or pushing each other as it will just make getting out much more chaotic.
Get out and Stay Out
As soon as the fire alarm activates or someone in your home raises a warning, the most important thing you need to do is get out. It is vital that everyone leaves the property as quickly and efficiently as possible. However, you should make sure people walk rather than run as this can again increase the likelihood of personal injury, causing additional problems for not just that person but also others trying to evacuate.
While your family make their way out, it is crucial that they are aware that they should not stop to collect anything. Personal belongings – from handbags and coats to toys and electrical equipment – should be left behind. Similarly, once you are out of the property you should not re-enter for any reason.
Follow your Evacuation Plan
Fire safety experts recommend pre-planning evacuation procedures as these can drastically enhance the probability of everybody getting out safely and unscathed. A comprehensive evacuation plan should include two exits out of each room and should also include details such as not using lifts or escalators.
You should also include fire safety tips for extreme fires such as crawling along the floor to reduce smoke inhalation and touching each closed door with the back of your hand to see if it’s hot before opening.
Consider Anyone Who May Need Assistance
As you evacuate your home, you should provide assistance to anyone who may be more vulnerable or experience difficulties getting out, such as young children, the elderly, or the disabled. Helping them get out should also be part of your evacuation plan and you should carefully consider any mobility issues which may arise.
Meet in the Designated Place
Every family should have a designated meeting place, and once the evacuation is complete, everybody should gather together there. Once safely outside you can check everyone is present, call the emergency services and determine if anyone is in need of medical assistance.
Remember, you should never go back in to your home – not even if someone is still there. Attempting to rescue them yourself can actually make the situation worse; the best thing you can do is wait for the fire and rescue service to arrive.
The Ultimate tip when it comes to home fire is to ensure you’ve taken every precaution. That means making sure you’ve got smoke detectors, fire alarms and even have on hand a fire extinguisher. If you’re living in an apartment building or block of flats you should ensure that there’s also things like emergency lighting and other fire protection equipment around to give you the best possible chance of surviving unharmed. If you’re unsure as to what exactly you should have or know about when it comes to fire safety, don’t hesitate in contact a local fire alarm company who can give you a run down or information.
