Evacuation planning
Making a home escape plan is vital. Whilst no one likes the idea of a fire starting in their home, you do need to be prepared for the worst. Having an escape plan can be a life-saving difference.
Thomas Purdy, our Head of Asset Compliance, said: "Having an escape route planned out can be helpful in the unfortunate event that there's a fire in your home.
Spending some time making a plan would really help in what can be a very confusing time if a fire starts and it could end up saving lives.
"Having an evacuation plan in place could also help firefighters to put out the fire quicker, since they won’t have to worry about rescuing anyone from a burning building when they arrive."
Click on the tabs below to find out how to plan your escape, based on the type of building you live in
If your building has a communal area, your evacuation policy will be displayed here.
The policy may be a ‘Stay Put’ policy – this means it’s safer for you to remain in your apartment with all doors and windows shut until you’re rescued or told otherwise. If, however, you begin to see or smell smoke or feel any heat, leave the building immediately. These policies are only put in place in compartmentation properties, which means the building has been designed to keep the fire in the area that it started in.
Your policy could be different, so remember to read it and ultimately learn it. Knowing your evacuation policy will stop panic if a fire should occur.
If your flat doesn’t have any communal areas, and thus doesn’t display an evacuation policy, follow the ‘I live in a house or bungalow’ advice below.
You should aim to leave through the normal routes that you enter your property. It’s important to keep your exits clear at all times in case of an emergency.
Remember the three rules if you discover a fire:
- Raise the alarm
- Evacuate the building, and call 999 when safely outside
- Don't re-enter the property until you’re told it’s safe to do so by the Fire and Rescue Service.
If there are fire alarm call points in the property, use these whilst exiting the building to alert others. If these aren't available, when you’re a safe distance from the property, try to alert your neighbours by shouting FIRE. Fire spreads quickly and they may also need to evacuate the building.