It’s not nice to think that one day you might need to use a home fire safety plan, but it’s certainly worth having. There are about 37,000 house fires a year in the UK and a situation can arise at any given time – no matter how careful you think you are.

It’s better to be safe than sorry, right? That’s why, to offer the ultimate protection for you and your household, you should have a plan in place. Peace of mind never hurt anyone…

Let’s look at what should be featured in an effective home fire safety plan.

Discover possible exits and escape routes

This part of the plan will look a little different for everyone, as it will depend on your property. Sure, the door is an obvious escape route but try to think beyond that. In some situations, the fire you’re trying to escape from could already be blocking it.

Try to think out of the box when creating your home fire safety plan. Do you have a basement that leads to a separate door? Look at the windows in your property – do they open wide enough for the biggest person in your household to climb out? What kind of surface is below? These are matters that must be addressed within your home fire safety plan.

Choose an appropriate place to meet outside

If a fire starts in your home, the first thing on everyone’s mind will be ‘how do I safely escape?’, and the second is ‘where should I go?’. Within your plan, establish an appropriate meeting point somewhere outside and within a safe distance from your home. Next, alert every member of your household that this is where they should meet in the event of a fire.

This could be a neighbour’s house, a post box, or a specific streetlamp. Wherever you decide, be sure to mark it clearly on your plan and inform every member of your family in a clear and precise manner. Once you hear your fire alarm go off, use your established escape route to leave the property, and wait at the designation meeting point. If you’re looking for fire alarm installers in Durham or elsewhere across the North East, CDS Security & Fire have years of experience and a commitment to keeping the community safe.

Be sure to have the appropriate tools in your house

While no solution is as powerful as a fire rescue service, there are tools you can keep within your home in the event of a fire. It’s important to keep in mind that these should never be used instead of calling the emergency services, but rather to try and calm the situation down as you wait for help.

It cannot hurt to have a fire extinguisher in an easily accessible area of your home, but it doesn’t have to stop there. Less obviously, there other firefighting options available, like a fire blanket.

Remember ‘prevention is better than cure’

While we wholeheartedly believe that an effective home fire safety plan is fundamental, ‘prevention is better than cure’ works well in this situation, too. Install smoke alarms on all levels of your house, be careful when using electrical items, and always cook with caution.

As well as this, be mindful of any open flames such as unattended or careless candles, and never, ever smoke cigarettes inside the property. If you simply must, be triple sure that you’ve extinguished the end before forgetting about it.

To read more on topics like this, check out the House category.