How to Draw an Evacuation Floor Plan

A house fire is one of the most terrible dangers that any family can face. Despite our best precautions, such as installing smoke detectors and having fire extinguishers on hand, you can still have a fire. All too often, these fires happen in the middle of the night when you and your family are asleep. For this reason, is is important to have a evacuation floor plan hanging in the hallway of your house that will show everyone the best way to get out should a fire break out in the house.

Graph paper
Red marker

Instructions

- 1
  Draw out a diagram of your house. If you have more than one floor, you need a separate diagram for each floor. Include all windows, doors and sleeping areas.
- 2
  Evaluate the shortest routes of escape for each room in the house. You want to have two possible escape routes for each room, in case the primary route is blocked. Whenever possible, escape routes should lead away from the interior of the house toward the exterior, since moving inward increases the amount of time you stay in the house, and the object is to exit as quickly as possible.
- 3
  Create a safe route if one does not exist. For example, if the only quick way out of the second story bathroom is out the window, install an evacuation drop ladder under that window to make escape easier.
- 4
  Draw your chosen routes onto your plan using a red marker, with arrows indicating the direction to take. Include an marker on your map to show exactly where outside the house everyone should meet.
- 5
  Post the diagram on every house level, where family members, guests and house sitters will see it. Have your local fire department's phone number entered on the diagram.

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