Planning

E.D.I.T.H. Exit Drills In the Home

E.D.I.T.H. is an excellent step for fire safety! Sleep with your doors closed to stop the spread of fire and smoke.

Planning Allows You to be Prepared

Planning gives you the information you need ahead of time to evacuate safely. In the workplace, employees and supervisors should plan together for exiting their work site. At school, involve all school staff including teachers, administrative and office workers, the maintenance and food staff.

Make Planning a Team Effort

Working together, design an evacuation plan to meet the specific needs of your building and your occupants. Make the plan clear and concise. Review the plan and walk through the exit procedure to make sure that everyone knows what to do.

Each building, whether it is a school, workplace or multi-family living unit, should have a posted exit diagram (plan) and everyone should be familiar with it.

Smoke Detectors (More information under Smoke Detectors)

Be sure that smoke detectors are installed and maintained. Know the sound of the fire alarm. Everyone should recognize and respond to the sound of the smoke detector or other fire alarm immediately. Immediate response is vital for quick, orderly evacuation.

Exiting in an Orderly Manner

Everyone should exit in an orderly manner to prevent confusion and minimize panic or injury. NO one should push his or her way out of an exit. Single file lines are best in controlling traffic to the exits. Consider special needs people. When developing your escape plan remember that younger, older, or disabled people may need special assistance. Anyone with special needs should be located as close to an exit as possible. Train others to give special assistance with evacuation. Be sure to know two ways out. There should be two ways out of every area of the home, school, or workplace. IF smoke or fire blocks the primary exit, use your second exit. Point out all emergency exits as you walk through the emergency procedure.

Never Use an Elevator

Always use the stairways to exit multi-story buildings. Do not use an elevator. An elevator may stop between floors, or go to the fire floor and stop with the doors open.

Clean Air is Close to the Ground

If a room or corridor is filled with smoke, crawl low on your hands and knees to exit. The cleaner air is closer to the ground.

Meeting Place

Plan your meeting place. A designated meeting place outside the building is a vital part of an evacuation plan. Count heads. Be aware of who is there (hopefully everybody will be accounted for) and who is not there. When the fire department arrives, you can report if there is anyone missing.

Know How to Respond If You Can’t Escape

Know what to do if you can’t escape. You’ll need to plan your actions in case immediate escape is impossible. If possible, for example, stay in a room with an outside window and always-close doors between you and the fire. Think about what you could use - sheets, towels, curtains, or even large pieces of clothing - to stuff around cracks near the door and wave as a signal to rescuers. Know how to open the window to ventilate smoke, but be prepared to close the window immediately if an open window makes the room smokier. If there is a phone, call the fire department with your location, even if firefighters are already on the scene. Remember; stay low in smoke until you’re rescued.