Creating Your Home Escape Plan (NFPA Standard)
The National Fire Protection Association recommends a specific approach to home escape planning. Their full guide is available at nfpa.org/escape, but here's the core of it:
Draw a floor plan and identify two exits from every room
Draw each floor of your home. For every room — especially sleeping areas — identify two ways out: the primary exit (door) and a secondary exit (usually a window). For rooms above the first floor, consider: is the window accessible? Can an occupant safely drop to the ground or reach a roof? Do you need a collapsible fire escape ladder? (These are available at most hardware stores for $30–80 and store under the bed or in the closet.)
Choose an outside meeting place — a specific spot, not "outside"
Pick a specific, identifiable meeting spot: the large tree at the corner of the yard, the mailbox, the neighbor's driveway. Every member of the household knows this location and goes there in every fire event. The meeting place should be far enough from the house that firefighters can work without concern for family members, but visible so everyone can quickly confirm everyone is out.
Assign responsibility for children and those who need help
Designate which adult is responsible for young children or household members who may need assistance (elderly relatives, people with disabilities) during a fire. Don't assume — pre-assign. Young children may not wake to a smoke alarm; the NFPA recommends a practice in which you wake sleeping children during a drill to confirm they'll respond.
Practice at least twice a year — including one night drill
NFPA recommends practicing your escape plan at least twice a year. One of those practices should happen at night — because most fatal home fires occur between 11pm and 7am when occupants are asleep. A night drill confirms children will wake to the alarm (many don't), and gives everyone the experience of navigating in low light and disorientation.
Once out, stay out
This is the rule most often violated — and most often fatal when violated. Once you've escaped a burning building, do not re-enter for any reason: pets, belongings, to check on someone. If someone is unaccounted for, tell the firefighters. They have equipment to search for occupants. A person who goes back in to retrieve something dies at a much higher rate than the risk of death to remaining evacuees.
Smoke Alarm Placement and Maintenance
Per NFPA 72 (the National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code):
- Install smoke alarms inside every sleeping room, outside each sleeping area (hallway), and on every level of the home including the basement
- On floors without sleeping rooms: install on the ceiling at the top of stairs or in the main living area
- In rooms with high ceilings: mount on the wall 4–12 inches below the ceiling (smoke rises and pools at the top)
- Keep smoke alarms at least 10 feet from cooking appliances to reduce nuisance alarms; if you can't, use a photoelectric alarm or one with a hush button
- Test every alarm monthly (press the test button)
- Replace batteries annually — or use 10-year sealed lithium batteries (install once, replace the whole unit at the 10-year mark)
- Replace the unit every 10 years — smoke detection sensors degrade. The manufacture date is printed on the back of the unit
- Interconnected alarms — where one alarm activates all of them — are required in new construction in most US jurisdictions and are strongly recommended in existing homes
What to Do When the Alarm Sounds
Don't waste time — get out
Don't stop to dress, grab belongings, look for your phone, or investigate the source. Get yourself and others out. If you must take 10 seconds: put on shoes (you'll be outside) and grab the baby. Nothing else. Every additional second spent inside is spent in a deteriorating situation.
Feel the door before opening it
Use the back of your hand to feel the door and the door handle before opening. If it's hot, don't open it — there may be fire on the other side. Use your secondary exit. If the door is cool, open it slowly and be ready to close it immediately if heat or smoke rushes in.
Stay low in smoke
Smoke and hot gases rise. In a smoke-filled corridor, crawl to the exit — the air near the floor is cooler and has more oxygen. Cover your nose and mouth with fabric if available. Move quickly — don't stop to search rooms. Count doors to the exit if you practiced this.
If you can't escape — close doors and signal for help
A closed door is a significant fire barrier. UL Fire Safety Research has demonstrated that a closed bedroom door can delay fire spread for up to 15 minutes. If you cannot escape: close all doors between you and the fire, seal gaps with towels or bedding, signal from a window with a bright cloth or flashlight, call 911 and tell them your exact location in the building.
Call 911 from outside
Once you are safely outside, call 911. Don't assume someone else has called. Go to your pre-designated meeting spot and account for everyone. Give firefighters any information you have: where the fire started, whether anyone is still inside, whether there are pets, whether there are hazardous materials (propane, chemicals) in the home.
Interconnected alarms: when one sounds, all sound
Nest Protect detects smoke and CO, speaks aloud to tell you what's happening and where, and tests itself automatically every day.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I buy a fire extinguisher for my home?
NFPA says a portable fire extinguisher can be useful for small, contained fires — but emphasizes that occupant safety always comes first. The decision to fight vs. escape must be made quickly: if the fire is larger than a small trash can, if you don't have a clear path to exit, or if the extinguisher isn't working immediately — get out. If you do keep extinguishers, keep one in the kitchen and know how to use it (PASS: Pull, Aim, Squeeze, Sweep). Never let using an extinguisher delay your escape.
How do I make a fire escape plan for people in wheelchairs or with disabilities?
NFPA recommends identifying a 'place of rescue assistance' for anyone who cannot use stairs — typically a stairwell landing or balcony where they can shelter while firefighters prioritize their rescue. Pre-notify your local fire department about household members with mobility limitations — many departments will add this to their dispatch notes for your address. Practice the specific plan for how this person will be evacuated, and confirm that your first-floor exits work for their needs.
My house is two stories. Do I need a fire escape ladder?
If any sleeping area is on the second floor or above and has only one exit (the door), a collapsible escape ladder is strongly recommended. They're rated for specific heights and weight capacities — match the ladder to your window height. Practice deploying it at least once, with the window open, so you're not doing this for the first time in an emergency. Store it under the bed or in the closet of the room it's intended for.