This May, Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service (RBFRS) is urging residents and business owners across the county to keep escape routes clear and make sure they know how to get out of their homes or businesses in emergencies.
Gareth Murphy, Fire Safety Manager for RBFRS, says: “Would you know what to do if your smoke alarm went off in the middle of the night or if the alarm sounded in your business? Fires can happen at any time so it’s important to have an emergency escape plan that is either easily accessible or that everyone is familiar with.
“The best route for escape for a domestic property is the usual way in and out of your home. However, we advise that you also choose a second route, in case the first one is blocked. Businesses must have designated fire escapes that are clearly signposted to ensure that patrons know how and where to escape.
“Make sure that everyone who needs to know understands the escape plan. Every so often, take a few minutes to practice the plan, so that you can act quickly in a stressful emergency situation.
“Earlier warnings can save lives, so test your smoke alarms weekly to make sure that the batteries work. If a fire does start in your home or business, remember to get out, stay out and call 999”.
Follow our simple steps to ensure everyone escape safely during an emergency.
1. Making the plan
- Include everyone who visits your business or lives in your house; thinking especially of children, older people and lodgers.
- Consider your regular visitors and their needs.
- Talk through your escape plan, including what to do and what not to do in a fire.
- If you are the Responsible Person for a high-rise building, you must have an emergency evacuation plan for your building to make sure residents know what to do in a fire.
- Business owners or Responsible Persons for businesses should also consider implementing an emergency evacuation plan for their building.
2. Choose an escape route
- For a domestic property, the best escape route is your usual way in and out of your house.
- If possible, choose a second route in case the first one is blocked.
- If you are a business owner or landlord, fire escapes must be considered as part of your fire risk assessment. Your fire risk assessment should look at the number of fire escapes and whether they are suitable.
- Keep all routes clear of obstructions.
3. Make sure that everyone knows where you keep the keys
- Always keep door and window keys in the same place.
- Make sure everyone in your household or your employees knows where they are.
4. Make sure everyone knows what to do
- Take a few minutes to “walk through” the plan with everyone in the household or your employees.
- Regularly remind everyone about what to do in the event of a fire.
- Find out What to do in an emergency.
- Keep a copy of your address by the phone, so children or visitors can read it out to the emergency services.
- Put a reminder of your escape plan somewhere prominent, like the door of the fridge.
5. What to do if your escape is blocked
- If you can’t escape, you will need to find a room to take refuge in. This is particularly important if you have difficulty moving around or going downstairs on your own.
- Try to find a room that has a window and a phone.
- Put bedding around the bottom of the door to block smoke.
6. How to escape from a high-level building
- As with all buildings, you should plan and practise an escape route. Our advice to people who live in high-rise properties or purpose-built flats or maisonettes, apart from having a smoke alarm and taking fire safety precautions, is to make sure you know your escape route and what to do if there is a fire inside your home or somewhere else in the building.
- If there is a fire inside your flat or maisonette – alert all the people in your flat and leave, closing your doors behind you. Follow your escape plan and if there is a lot of smoke, crawl along the floor where the air should be clearer. Always use the stairs rather than the lift and call 999 as soon as you are in a safe place.
- If there is a fire elsewhere in the building – the structure of your flat (walls, floors, doors) are designed to give you a minimum of 30 to 60 minutes’ protection from a fire. If there is a fire in your building but not inside your own home, you are usually safer to stay in your flat unless the heat or smoke from the fire is affecting you. If you stay put you should still immediately call 999.
More information about escape routes can be found on our website.