An evacuation plan outlines how your household will safely exit your home and neighborhood during emergencies such as fires, floods, hurricanes, wildfires, or chemical spills. A good plan identifies multiple exit routes from every room, establishes meeting points, assigns responsibilities for helping children and those with mobility limitations, and includes provisions for pets and essential items.
10 steps across 1 sections
1. Steps Process
- Draw a floor plan of your home — Sketch each floor showing all rooms, doors, windows, stairways, and large furniture. This visual map helps identify all possible exit routes.
- Identify two exit routes from every room — Every room should have at least two ways out, typically a door and a window. Ensure windows open easily and have not been painted shut. For upper floors, ...
- Mark primary and secondary routes — Use different colors to mark the primary (fastest) and secondary (backup) routes from each room on your floor plan. Post the plan where all family members can se...
- Establish outdoor meeting points — Choose a safe spot at least 50 feet from the home (mailbox, streetlight, neighbor's driveway) where everyone gathers after evacuating. Choose a secondary meeting ...
- Assign responsibilities — Determine who helps young children, elderly family members, and people with disabilities. Assign someone to grab the emergency kit and another to manage pets.
- Install and maintain smoke alarms — Place smoke alarms on every floor, inside and outside sleeping areas, and in the kitchen. Test monthly and replace batteries annually.
- Keep exits clear — Ensure all doors and windows on escape routes are unblocked. Remove clutter from hallways and stairwells. Never store items in front of exits.
- Plan for different scenarios — Create specific plans for different emergencies: fire (get low, feel doors before opening), flood (go to higher ground), chemical spill (shelter in place, seal window...
- Prepare a go-bag — Keep a packed emergency kit near the primary exit with essential documents, medications, water, and supplies.
- Practice evacuation drills — Conduct drills at least twice a year, at different times of day (including nighttime). Time your evacuations and work to improve speed. Practice different scenarios and...
Common Mistakes
- Only having one exit plan
- Not practicing at night
- Forgetting about pets
- Locked or stuck windows
- Assuming children will follow adults
Pro Tips
- Teach young children to escape on their own in case adults are incapacitated
- Once out, stay out
- For multi-story homes, keep escape ladders in each upper-floor bedroom and pr...
- Notify your local fire department if anyone in your household has mobility li...
- Laminate your floor plan with marked evacuation routes and post copies in eac...