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Week 11 · Ready for Anything

Thursday

The family fire plan
// Know it, ask for help, and have a plan
⏱ about 15 min

Thursday: The family fire plan

Bruce unrolls a paper map of his home at the den. Red arrows point out of every room.

Oliver the Owl peers at it. "Two arrows from each room?"

"Two ways out," says Bruce. "A door and a window, or two doors. And here, by the big oak, is the meeting spot."

Ferris nods. "Get out, stay out, meet at the oak, and a grown-up calls for help." Bruce smiles. "We walked it twice."

Four parts of the plan

A family fire plan is simple. It has four parts, and every family can make one.

You make it with your grown-up. Then you walk it so your feet know the way.

  • Two ways out of every room. Usually a door and a second door or a window a grown-up has checked.
  • A meeting spot outside, away from the home, where everyone goes. A tree, a mailbox or a neighbor's step.
  • Get out and stay out. You never go back in for anything.
  • A grown-up calls for help from outside.
PUT THE FIRE PLAN IN ORDER.
  • ?Hear the alarm and leave right away
  • ?A grown-up calls for help
  • ?Use one of your two ways out
  • ?Stay out
  • ?Go to the meeting spot
WHY THIS EXERCISEOut first, meet, stay out, then call. People first, things never.
PLAN CHECK
  • Read the question.
  • Tap your answer.
How many ways out should each room have?
Where is the meeting spot?
You are at the meeting spot and remember your book inside. What do you do?
Who calls for help?

Walk it, do not just talk it

A plan on paper is good. A plan your feet know is better.

Walk your two ways out of your room with your grown-up. Walk to the meeting spot. Then do it again.

Practice at least twice a year. Many families pick the same two days each year so they remember.

How many parts does the fire plan have?
After you get out, what do you do?
What was Bruce's meeting spot?
StatementTrue or false?
Each room needs two ways out.?
You may go back inside for a toy.?
The meeting spot is outside, away from the home.?
Walking the plan is better than only talking about it.?
WHY THIS EXERCISEA walked plan is one your family can follow without thinking.
How many times had Bruce's family walked their plan?
WHY THIS EXERCISEPracticing more than once is what makes the plan stick.
On paper, draw a map of your home. Mark two ways out of your room and a star on the meeting spot.
Safety first
Make and walk the plan with your grown-up. They check every way out.
Never touch the smoke alarm or any window latch yourself.
This is practice only. Walk, never run, and stay with your grown-up.
For a grown-up
Pick a meeting spot together and say it out loud. Then walk both ways out of each bedroom.
Keep the drawn map on the fridge. Walk the plan at least twice a year.

Plan made, Helper! Tomorrow Freddy reviews the week and Rosie brings the cheers.

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