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Run family drills and test equipment

Plans only work if people have practised them. Short, regular drills reveal problems while they are still easy to fix.

How

1. Run a fire drill at least twice a year, as the US Fire Administration advises, including one at night: sound the alarm, get out by both routes and meet at the meeting point.
2. Run an evacuation drill: load grab bags and animals into vehicles and time it.
3. Practise radio check-ins and a test call over each comms layer.
4. Let every capable family member practise using an extinguisher and turning off gas and power.
5. Test smoke and CO alarms monthly, and check extinguisher gauges.
6. Write down what went wrong after each drill and update the plan.

Sources

1. Smoke Alarms. US Fire Administration (FEMA), accessed 2026-11
2. Focus on Fire Safety: Fire Escape Plans (January 2012, archived). US Fire Administration (FEMA), via UNT web archive, accessed 2026-11

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