Make and practise an escape plan for your home away from home

An emergency can happen anywhere at any time – even at the cottage. In an emergency, every second counts, so it’s important to make sure everyone in your household knows what to do – including visitors. Making and practising a home escape plan (PDF) can prepare everyone for the worst-case scenario. 

Follow these steps from Vaughan Fire and Rescue Service (VFRS) to protect everyone using your home this summer: 

• Draw your home’s floor plan, including all doors, windows and stairs for each level, and note any features that could help you escape, such as a garage or a balcony.
• Mark at least two escape routes from each room so if the door is blocked, you know another way out.
• Review the plan with everyone in your household – including visitors – and walk through the escape routes for each room.
• Ensure that everyone in your home knows where to meet outside, where firefighters can see you, such as a street sign or mailbox. Once at the meeting location, call 9-1-1 and wait for the fire department to arrive. A meeting place will allow you to account for everyone and inform firefighters if anyone is still inside. Never go back into a burning building.

If someone in your household is elderly or has a medical, mental health or physical condition that requires help getting to safety, VFRS offers a free voluntary Vulnerable Persons Registry for Vaughan residences. The fire department references this registry during an emergency to provide special assistance to those who need it. You can sign up online to have your loved ones added to the list – sign up will need to occur annually. 

More fire safety tips

If you’re lighting candles, always use non-flammable candle holders, and place candles where they will not be knocked down, away from papers, tablecloths and napkins. Additionally, never leave candles unattended in a room and ensure they are kept out of reach of children and pets. A better alternative is to use battery-powered, flameless candles.

When you are cooking, remember these safety tips to enjoy a fire-free meal:

• Stay in the kitchen while cooking. Turn off the stove and wait for it to cool down if you must step away, even for a moment, and remove all items from the stovetop when you are finished cooking.
• Avoid all distractions and focus on the task in front of you.
• Avoid wearing loose-fitting clothing while cooking, as it can catch on fire.
• Keep flammable items – like oven mitts, cooking utensils, dish cloths, paper towels and potholders – a safe distance from the stove.
• Keep pets and young kids away from the stove and turn pot handles away from the stove's edge to avoid them being knocked over accidentally.
• Use a heat-resistant surface to cool down hot cookware.
• Keep a working fire extinguisher in the kitchen.
• Ensure your home has working smoke alarms and test all alarms at least once a month by pressing the test button.

For more information and fire safety tips, visit vaughan.ca/fire and watch the City of Vaughan’s video on how to make a home escape plan. 

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