The Philippine Online Chronicles

Fire drills are conducted in schools and offices. Have you ever thought of conducting one in your own home?

Why are home fire drills important?

Most fatal fires occur in the home. And fires can strike any time of the day or night. Some fires spread very quickly and you only have a few precious minutes to get yourself and your loved ones to safety.

I knew some families that had loved ones perish in home fires. When our oldest girl was still in elementary school, a classmate and her mother perished in a fire at their home. Several years ago, a schoolmate of my boys and his mother also perished in a similar home fire incident. And last Christmas 2009, a socialite and her daughter were also killed in their home, the result of faulty Christmas lights.

In this article on home fire drills, Bob Kilpeck, a Volunteer Fire Chief in Brandon, Vt says: "At the time of a fire there isn't time to think about what you should do or need to do. Time is not on your side. A fire doubles in size every minute."

When panic sets in, it is very easy to stop thinking clearly.  Oftentimes, people run to areas that are actually not safe or do things that could put them at greater risk. This is where drills are important. Practiced over and over at regular times, it could save your loved ones who will instinctively do what the drills are meant to accomplish and lead them to safety.

Preparations before your first drill

If you've never done a home fire drill before, you will need to prepare adequately for it.

1. Prepare a layout of your home. Draw a floor plan of your home (if you have two or more floors, draw each floor separately). Mark distinctly familiar landmarks that you and your kids can remember like doors, windows, stairs, location of fire extinguishers, etc.

2. Study the floor plan carefully and map out escape routes.

3. Evaluate fire-prone areas in your home (e.g., kitchen) and map out escape routes away from it in case the fire starts there

4. Check the shortest escape routes from every room in the house and ensure these are not blocked. Sometimes, a good escape route is blocked by furniture. Clear the path. If you live on the second floor and need to escape via a window, ensure that there is a way of getting down to the ground safely. If you live in a high-rise condo unit, plot the various fire escape exits on your floor plan. A big problem in the design of Filipino homes is that we are fond of putting grilles on our windows which, while they keep us safe from intruders, also become our "prison" in case of a fire.

5. Note fire-fighting equipment that you may need at home and purchase them at the soonest time possible. The most common is fire extinguishers. Know the type of fire extinguisher that you need to purchase. Remember that the chemicals inside the extinguisher have an expiration date. Note this date somewhere to remind you of regular refills. Another fire-fighting equipment, which may seem odd to have around, is an axe or something to smash glass with. This comes in handy if your windows are made of heavy glass and yet it is a possible escape route. And do not forget - smoke alarms. Many fires happen at night and usually smoke kills faster than the fire because of its toxicity. Having a smoke alarm in the bedrooms can give you additional minutes to spare to escape.

6. Take note of emergency fire station numbers including those of the Chinese Volunteer Fire Brigade. Post these numbers conspicuously near all telephones around the house.

Next step - family training

Once you've assembled all the preparatory work, it is now time to gather the family (and this includes your household help) to train everyone.

1. Make sure everyone knows how to open door latches and windows including the children.

2. Train everyone on the use of fire extinguishers and point out to them the location of other fire-fighting equipment. Your local fire station or fire extinguisher supplier may be willing to teach your family. Another way is to use a second fire extinguisher to practice putting fires out in your backyard, at a safe distance from the house.

3. If you have fire escape ladders, try these out so everyone gets a level of comfort. For small kids, let them try it from a first-floor window only. The ladder must be stored near the window as there won't be time to look for it in a real fire situation.

4. Discuss the floor plan, location of exits and the escape routes from each room. Make sure everyone commits the escape routes to memory. If possible, relocate those with a handicap to a room on the ground floor for easy evacuation.

5. Agree on a meet-up place like a neighbor's house or some safe place some distance from your home. In case you get separated during a fire, all of you should agree to meet at this place so you can account for all family members.

6. If there are small kids or handicapped/invalid family members, pair them up with a stronger and able-bodied child/adult so that in an emergency, the buddy pair can get out safely together.

Do an actual fire drill - and repeat regularly

It's not enough to simply talk about what to do in the event of a fire. You should actually hold one. But do so only after everyone has mastered the escape routes.

Since many fires start at night, your initial drill should preferably be at night. Use a whistle to replicate a smoke alarm then inform them where the "imaginary fire" started. Remind everyone to stay low, close to the floor since in an actual fire, smoke will engulf anyone standing up. Allow everyone to pick up fire extinguishers, use the ladders and have them get away from the house. Note if they specifically avoided the area where the "fire" was located.

Most likely, the first drill will be a little chaotic but that is to be expected. Discuss what went right and what went wrong and tweak the procedures with everyone's assistance. What is important is that you continue to hold this drill every six months, if possible. Over time, your children and household help will get used to the drill.

Photo by Claire Robertson from Kiddley.com. Used in accordance with the site's Terms of Use.

-----

Jane Uymatiao is a wife and mother to 4 teen/adult kids. In her previous left-brained life, she earned a degree in Accounting, worked for a major accounting firm for over 15 years as IT consultant, got an MBA in International Business in the USA and put in another few years as VP in a universal bank. After discovering yoga in 2006, she reinvented herself and now tries to live a right-brained life advocating health, yoga and a more purposeful life. She is presently a freelance writer for print and online publications and is an active new media person. She blogs at Here's To Life!, The Yogini from Manila, and The Philippine Beat and is on Twitter as @yogajane and @philippinebeat.