Have 'Two Ways Out'

Flagler County fire officials continually urge residents to plan two ways out of each and every room.

“You may have as little as two minutes to safely escape a typical home fire from the time you hear the smoke alarm,” said Flagler County Fire Marshal Jerry Smith. He said escape planning and practice are critical.

Nearly 23 percent of Americans are aware that each room in a home should have at least two exits, according to the National Fire Protection Association. Three in five people think they have longer than two minutes to escape safely.

This year’s Fire Prevention Week theme is “Every Second Counts: Plan Two Ways Out.”

Flagler County Fire Marshal Jerry Smith said a home escape plan should include the following:

• Working smoke alarms – on every level, in every bedroom and near all sleeping areas.
• Two ways out of every room – typically a door and a window.
• A clear path to an outside meeting place – like a light pole or mailbox that is a safe distance away from the home.

“Don’t just practice during the daylight, but practice at night too,” Smith said. “Your house looks very different when it’s dark.”

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