Fire Safety & Your Home Insurance Policy

During an emergency like a fire, it is difficult to react quickly and make decisions. Every home needs some type of fire evacuation plan in case of a fire. It is especially important to have a clear plan when there are children or elderly people living in the home. Children may become frightened, and older residents may become confused and could panic. It might be a good idea to install smoke detectors and fire extinguishers – these could help towards saving lives and may also result in discounts on insurance.

Make an escape plan for your home. Walk through each room of your home and draw up a diagram showing windows and exits. Do a diagram of each floor of the house. Mark the best escape routes for each room on the diagram. Post copies of your escape plan where everyone in the family can find it.

Gather all members living in the home and go over the diagram, or tour the home one room at a time. Explain to your family the best exits from each room and why. Devise a system for window escapes using a ladder if you have a second floor.

Make sure everyone knows what to do if there is a fire. Explain about smoke or fire alarms and how to use fire extinguishers. Make a plan of where to meet outside during an evacuation, and teach all family members about self-protection from flames, sparks and smoke inhalation while evacuating.

Don’t forget to purchase fire extinguishers and smoke detectors if you have not done so already. Lastly, make sure you keep your homeowners’ insurance in South Florida up to date at all times. Contact your agent if your insurance policy needs to be upgraded at any stage.