Plan your escape this March Break

Create and practise a home escape plan with tips from Vaughan Fire and Rescue Service

While some people are looking to get away from the winter weather over March Break, Vaughan Fire and Rescue Service (VFRS) is encouraging everyone to plan for a different kind of escape. It’s important to prioritize fire safety and ensure everyone in your home is ready in the event of an emergency.

One way to practise fire prevention is to create a home escape plan (PDF). Making and practising your home escape plan can prepare your family for the worst-case scenario. Here’s how:

• Draw your home’s floor plan, including all doors, windows and stairs for each level, and note any features that could help you escape, such as a garage or a balcony.
• Mark at least two escape routes from each room so if the door is blocked, you know another way out.
• Make sure everyone in your home knows where to meet outside – a street sign or a mailbox, for example – to call 911 and wait while the fire department arrives. A meeting place will allow you to count everyone and inform firefighters if anybody is still inside. Never go back into a burning building.

If  someone in your household is elderly, or has a medical, mental health or physical condition that would require them receiving help getting to safety? VFRS has a free voluntary Vulnerable Persons Registry that first responders reference during an emergency so they know to provide special assistance to those who need it. You can sign up online to have your loved ones added to the list.

More fire safety tips

If you’re using a fireplace to stay warm indoors, make sure to never burn papers, file folders, boxes, cartons or other types of packaging. They burn rapidly and generate a lot of heat. If you’re lighting candles, always use non-flammable candle holders, and place candles where they will not be knocked down, away from papers, folders and napkins – this can also be a fire hazard. Additionally, never leave candles in a room unattended and be sure to keep them out of reach of children and pets. A better option is to use flameless candles.

When cooking, remember these safety tips so your family can enjoy a fire-free meal:

• Stay in the kitchen when cooking. Turn off the stove if you must step away and remove all items from the stovetop when cooking is done.
• Avoid distractions and focus on the task in front of you.
• Avoid wearing loose-fitting clothing while cooking as it can catch on fire.
• Keep flammable items – oven mitts, cooking utensils, dish cloths, paper towels and potholders – a safe distance from the stove.
• Keep young kids and pets away from the stove and turn pot handles away from the stove's edge to avoid pots being accidentally knocked off.
• Ensure a proper-fitting pot lid is nearby to smother flames in the event of a fire.
• Keep a working fire extinguisher in the kitchen.
• Have a working smoke alarm and test all alarms at least once a month.

For more information and fire safety tips, visit vaughan.ca/fire or watch the City’s video on how to make a home escape plan.