Plan together now
Take everyone into account
Make your fire action plan with everyone in your household, especially children and elderly or disabled people.
Your best escape route is your normal way in and out of your home
Decide on a different route as well, in case the normal one is blocked.
Keep all escape routes clear

Tell everyone in your household where you keep your door and window keys
You can be safe as well as secure if you make sure that anyone who needs to get out in an emergency can easily open doors and windows.
When it's safer to stay in your home
If your escape route is blocked, it may be safer to stay put and protect yourself until the Fire Brigade arrives.
Find a suitable room now. Choose one with a window that opens and, if possible, a phone so that you can call 999.

• If the stairs in a block of flats are blocked by fire or smoke, don't use the lift. Stay calm and go back inside your flat -it's designed to keep fire out.
• Close the door and follow the safety steps in this leaflet.

Safety steps to save lives

Fit smoke alarms on each floor level in your home
If you don't have working smoke alarms in your home, your chances of surviving a fire when you are asleep are almost zero. Test your smoke alarms every week and replace batteries once a year.
If your smoke alarms keep going off, don't disconnect them. They are only doing their job. Ask the Fire Brigade about the best place to put them so that they won't keep going off, for example, when you are cooking.

Keep doors closed at night
This will help delay the spread of fire and smoke.
Do a safety check before you go to bed each night
The more electrical appliances you can switch off at the wall socket, the safer you will be.
Check gas appliances and put a spark guard in front of open fires.
Put out cigarette ends and candles properly. Always keep matches and cigarette lighters away from children.

Practise your fire action plan
Knowing what to do and acting quickly will save lives. Regularly take a few minutes to 'walk' the escape route with everyone in your household and check that everyone can unlock and open doors and windows easily.
Review your plan regularly, especially if you make any changes in your home.

What to do if there is a fire

Raise the alarm
If your smoke alarm goes off while you are asleep, don't investigate to see if there is a fire. Shout to wake everyone up, get everyone together, follow your plan and get out. Check doors with the back of your hand - if they are warm, do not open them - the fire is on the other side.
If there is a lot of smoke, crawl along with your nose near the floor where the air will be cleaner.

Escaping from a window
If you are on the ground floor or first floor you may be able to escape from a window. If you
have to break the window, cover the jagged glass with towels or thick bedding.
Throw some more bedding out of the window to break your fall. Don't jump out of the window -lower yourself down to arm's length and drop to the ground.
If you have any children or elderly or disabled people with you, plan the order you will escape in so that you can help them down.

Don't go back inside your home
Call the Fire Brigade from a mobile phone, a neighbour's house or a phone box. Give the address of the fire.
Don't stop or go back for anything.

What to do if your escape route is blocked
• Get everyone into one room and close the door. Smoke and fumes can kill people quickly, so put bedding or towels along the bottom of the door to seal the gap.
• Open the window and stay near it for fresh air and to let the firefighters see you.
• Phone the Fire Brigade or shout for help so that someone else can phone for you.

Other information
If you would like a copy of this leaflet on audio cassette or in Braille, large print or any of the languages listed below, please phone 0870 1266 236.
Textphone users should call 0870 1207 405.
This leaflet is available in the following languages:
Arabic, Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Punjabi, Urdu, Chinese, Vietnamese, Greek, Turkish, Somali, Welsh.
For more information, visit our website at:
www.community-fire-safety.org.uk
For more information or advice on fire safety in your home, phone your local Fire Brigade. You can find the number in your local phone book.