By Judith Weeks

If you live in or around the city of Philadelphia, your evacuation plan may look something like this. | Design by the American Red Cross

Did you know that if a fire starts in your home you may have as little as two minutes to escape? Home fires claim seven lives a day in the U.S., but a new 2020 national Red Cross survey shows most of us aren’t taking the steps to protect ourselves.

Testing your smoke alarms each month helps ensure that they’re working — which can cut the risk of dying in a home fire by half. Still, the study shows 65% of us don’t. Practicing your escape plan twice a year also increases the odds of survival. But 70% of us don’t. Escaping in less than two minutes can be the difference between survival and tragedy, according to fire experts. Yet more than half of us think we have more time.

During a fire, early warning from a smoke alarm plus having a practiced escape plan in place can save lives. Smoke alarms should be placed on each floor and strategically located throughout your home. Each alarm should be tested once a month. Replace batteries at least once a year and check the manufacturer’s date of your smoke alarms. If they’re 10 years or older, they need to be replaced because the sensor becomes less sensitive over time. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

These two safety tips will protect your family in the event of a fire. | Design by the American Red Cross

MAKE AN ESCAPE PLAN.

• Include at least two ways to exit every room in your home. 

• Make a map showing the location of each exit using this template.

• Select a meeting spot at a safe distance away from your home, such as your neighbor’s home or landmark like a specific tree in your front yard, where everyone knows to meet.

• Teach children what a smoke alarm sounds like. Talk about fire safety and what to do in an emergency.

• Practice evacuation with all occupants, including caregivers and babysitters until everyone can get out in less than two minutes.

• If a smoke and fire alarm is activated, evacuate immediately.

Is an escape plan in your family’s playbook? We can help you make one! Design by the American Red Cross

Many row homes are old with few escape options. Consider all exit possibilities. Fire can quickly spread from one row house to another. If you see or smell smoke from your house or someone else’s, immediately evacuate. Once you and others are safely out of your home, knock on your neighbors’ doors to notify them of a fire.

Apartments, high rise buildings, and school dormitories are required to have an escape map posted on each floor with designated exits and reminder not to use the elevator. When moving a student into a dorm make sure the student knows where the escape map and exits are. If possible, practice an escape. This is probably an “aw Mom” moment but explaining the ‘why’ could save a life.

Even in a year filled with wildfires, hurricanes and other storms, home fires remain the most common disaster that the American Red Cross responds to. From July 1 through August 31, the American Red Cross Southeastern Pennsylvania Region responded to 104 local emergencies, providing assistance for 443 families and 1,296 people in the five-county area.

For more home fire preparedness tips, head to our Home Fire Preparedness page.