Before you begin. This procedure is general reference information, not professional advice. Equipment varies by manufacturer, model, and year. Always follow the documentation supplied with your equipment — where it differs from this page, follow the manufacturer. Verify that you have the tools, the working conditions, and the ability to do this task safely. If anything is unclear, if the equipment is damaged, or if the task exceeds your experience, stop and use a qualified professional. You are responsible for your own safety and for the outcome. This site accepts no liability for any loss, damage, or injury arising from the use of this information.
Specifications marked unverified could not be traced to a manufacturer source. Do not rely on them — obtain the value from your equipment documentation.
Summary
A home fire escape plan is a simple floor plan of your home that marks two ways out of every room, one meeting place outside, and the location of each smoke alarm. The U.S. Fire Administration says a household can have less than two minutes to get outside once a smoke alarm sounds, so a plan only helps if everyone already knows it. This page walks you through drawing that plan, then through running it as a real fire drill with every household member, including a drill at night. It draws on the U.S. Fire Administration's own Home Fire Escape Plans page and NFPA's own Home Fire Escape Planning page, both government or standards-body sources rather than a single household tip.
This page gives you the escape-plan steps both agencies publish and the one figure they name for how often to practice: twice a year, according to NFPA. It answers common searches like "fire drill at home" and "what to do if the smoke alarm goes off at night" in plain language, alongside the exact wording for each step. It does not cover installing a smoke alarm or choosing where to put one; see the related pages on this site for that job. It does not cover an apartment building's or a workplace's posted evacuation plan, since a shared building follows its own plan, set by building management.
Necessary equipment
| Item | Note |
|---|---|
| Paper and a pencil | Use a pencil and paper to draw the floor plan. |
| Tape or a magnet | Use tape or a magnet to display the floor plan. |
| Clock or phone timer optional | Use a timer to record the time for each drill. |
Draw the escape map
Estimated 8 min to 14 min
- Draw a simple floor plan of each level of your home.3mReport a problem with step 1, Draw the escape map
- Mark the location of every door and window.
EXAMINE A SECURITY BAR FOR AN INSIDE RELEASE LEVER BEFORE YOU MARK IT AS AN EXIT.
A locked security bar can trap you inside a fire.
- Mark two exits for every room on the floor plan.2mReport a problem with step 2, Draw the escape map
- A door is the first exit.
- A window is the second exit.
- Open each marked door and window to make sure it moves freely.1mReport a problem with step 3, Draw the escape map
- Remove an item that blocks a door or a window.
- Mark the position of each smoke alarm on the floor plan.<1mReport a problem with step 4, Draw the escape map
- Mark an outside meeting place a safe distance from your home.<1mReport a problem with step 5, Draw the escape map
- Choose a fixed point such as a tree, a mailbox, or a light pole.
- Write your emergency telephone number on the floor plan.<1mReport a problem with step 6, Draw the escape map
- Put the floor plan where every household member can see it.<1mReport a problem with step 7, Draw the escape map
Practice the escape plan
Estimated 5 min to 10 min
Source: Home Fire Escape Planning · tier 1 · accessed 2026-08-04
- Set a fixed date to practice the plan twice a year.<1mReport a problem with step 1, Practice the escape plan
- Press the test button on a smoke alarm to start the drill.<1mReport a problem with step 2, Practice the escape plan
- Walk each marked exit route with every household member.2mReport a problem with step 3, Practice the escape plan
- Practice a low crawl under smoke on the way to an exit.1mReport a problem with step 4, Practice the escape plan
- Smoke and heat rise.
- The air near the floor is cleaner.
- Close each door behind you as you leave during the drill.<1mReport a problem with step 5, Practice the escape plan
- A closed door slows the spread of smoke and fire.
- Run a drill at night after children learn the daytime plan.2mReport a problem with step 6, Practice the escape plan
- Make sure that each child wakes when the smoke alarm sounds.
- Assign an adult to wake a child who does not wake alone.
Act on the plan during a fire
Estimated 2 min to 4 min
- Leave your home at once when a smoke alarm sounds.<1mReport a problem with step 1, Act on the plan during a fire
- Choose the exit route with the least smoke and heat.<1mReport a problem with step 2, Act on the plan during a fire
DO NOT RETURN TO YOUR HOME DURING A FIRE FOR A PERSON, A PET, OR AN ITEM.
A return during a fire can kill or injure you.
- Go to your outside meeting place and stay there.<1mReport a problem with step 3, Act on the plan during a fire
- Call the fire department from your outside meeting place.<1mReport a problem with step 4, Act on the plan during a fire
- Tell the dispatcher at once if you cannot find a household member.
- A firefighter has the training and the equipment to search safely.
Keep the plan current
Estimated 1 min to 2 min
- Update the floor plan after a change to your household or your home.1mReport a problem with step 1, Keep the plan current
- A new household member, a guest, or a room change all count.
- Set a reminder for your next practice date.<1mReport a problem with step 2, Keep the plan current
Terminology
This page uses one term for each item and holds it throughout, as ASD-STE100 requires. Equipment sellers and other guides use the names below for the same parts.
- home fire escape plan
- Also called: fire escape plan, house fire evacuation plan, family fire escape plan, home evacuation plan
- fire drill at home
- Also called: home fire drill, practice fire drill, family fire drill, run a fire drill
- two ways out of every room
- Also called: two exits per room, primary and secondary exit, backup way out of a room, second way out
- outside meeting place
- Also called: fire meeting spot, family meeting place, rally point after a fire, meet outside after a fire
- sealing yourself in for safety
- Also called: trapped by smoke, can't get out of a fire, seal the door during a fire, shelter in place during a house fire
When to use a professional
Contact your building manager for a posted evacuation plan in an apartment building or a high-rise. This page covers a single household layout, not a shared building with a stairwell and multiple units.
Contact a qualified locksmith for a security bar with no inside release lever. Do not remove or force a security bar yourself.
Contact your local fire department for help with a household member who has a mobility limit. A home care provider can also help you plan this step. This page names the step where you assign a helper. It does not cover equipment for a lift or a transfer.
Common questions
What is a home fire escape plan?
It is a simple floor plan of your home that marks two ways out of every room, one meeting place outside, and where each smoke alarm is. The U.S. Fire Administration and NFPA both publish this same basic layout as the core of home fire safety. A plan only works if every household member has walked it and knows it before a real fire starts.
How often should I run a fire drill at home?
NFPA's own escape-planning guidance gives a clear figure: practice your home fire escape plan twice a year, making the drill as realistic as possible. Set two fixed dates so the drill actually happens rather than staying a good intention. A drill that includes every household member, run at both a normal time and a nighttime, tests the plan the way a real fire would.
What does 'two ways out of every room' mean?
It means every room needs a primary exit, usually the door, and a backup exit, usually a window, in case the door route is blocked by smoke or fire. The U.S. Fire Administration and NFPA both recommend drawing this out on a floor plan so the second way out is decided in advance, not during a fire. If a room truly has only one way out, treat that room as a priority for a working smoke alarm and a clear path to the door.
What should I do if the smoke alarm goes off at night?
Leave your home immediately using the exit route you already planned and practiced, choosing whichever route has the least smoke and heat. Crawl low if there is smoke, because the clearer air stays near the floor. Close doors behind you as you go, since a closed door slows the spread of fire, then go straight to your outside meeting place and call the fire department from there. Do not stop for any item, and never go back inside once you are out.
What if my child does not wake up when the smoke alarm sounds?
This is common, and NFPA's own escape-planning guidance addresses it directly: during your practice drill, check whether each child wakes to the sound of the smoke alarm on their own. If a child does not wake up, assign a specific adult to wake that child, both during every future drill and in a real emergency. NFPA also suggests telling children about an upcoming nighttime drill in advance rather than always surprising them, since the goal is practice, not fear.
Should I go back for a pet or something I forgot?
No. Once every household member is out of a burning home, nobody should go back inside for a person, a pet, or an item. Firefighters have the training and the equipment to search a burning building safely; a household member does not. Call the fire department from your outside meeting place and tell the dispatcher immediately if someone is missing.
What if smoke or fire is blocking every exit?
NFPA's own escape-planning guidance describes "sealing yourself in for safety" as a backup for exactly this situation: close every door between you and the fire, then use whatever you have to seal the cracks around the door and cover any air vents. Open a window at the top and the bottom if you can, to let in fresh air, then call the fire department and give your exact location. Wave a flashlight or a light-colored cloth at the window so responders can see where you are.
Related procedures
- Where should I put smoke detectors, and how many do I need
- How to change the battery in a smoke detector and test it
- Find which alarm is chirping and what the chirp means
- How do I find the date on my smoke alarm and how old can it be before I replace it
- How to get the house ready for a storm and a power outage
- How do I safely heat my house when the power goes out?
- What to put in a home emergency kit and how much of it
- How old is my carbon monoxide detector and when do I replace it
Sources
Every specification on this page is traced to one of these sources. Tier 1 is a manufacturer document, a published standard, or a government safety authority. See Standards for the full tiering rule.
- Tier 1Home Fire Escape Plans
- Tier 1Home Fire Escape Planning
Revision history
Current version 1 · updated 2026-08-04 · next review due 2027-08-04
- v1 · 2026-08-04First draft. Escape-plan steps and the twice-a-year practice interval traced to the U.S. Fire Administration's Home Fire Escape Plans page and NFPA's own Home Fire Escape Planning page, both registered at tier 1 in this edit and re-read directly. No other value on this page meets the safety-critical list in config.json; the plan and the practice habit are the safety value themselves. An alternate exit device for an upper-floor window, and any electrical or building-code work, are out of scope for Phase 1 and are not covered on this page.
Corrections to this page are listed in the public corrections log. Reports that are credible and not yet verified are listed in the public errata register, and an open one renders above the step it concerns.
Comments and corrections
Found an error? A correction with a manufacturer source is applied and logged publicly. You can also write to corrections@fixchecklist.com.
Every step above carries its own report control, which tags the report with that step so a correction reaches the right place. For anything about the procedure as a whole — the order of the sections, a step that is missing, something that did not match your equipment — use this: report something about this whole procedure.