To beg you all to have a fire evacuation plan

We have practiced. 19mo DS3 finds it hilarious, but the older DC take it very seriously.

YANBU. My friend lost her 5 yo in a fire as she was carrying her 2.5yo and newborn baby, thought her DD was following, but list her in the smoke.

This was 9 years ago now. I have owned fire escape ladders and had a very clear escape plan ever since.

Re: the ladders.

I think the issue with them is that they give a false sense of security.
They are never used except in an emergency and it's then, with all the panic going on, that people find out the ladder won't fit the window, or they waste time trying to fix it up. Actually climbing out of a window and down it is also an extremely difficult thing to do and it's never usually practised until it's needed.

How many of you with these ladders have practised setting them up and climbing out of the window? How did you find it?

When the fire brigade told me, I went upstairs to try it. I knew then that, in an emergency, I could never use it, let alone persuade frightened young children down it.

I really worried about this when DH was working nights - how would I get both children out of the house safely if there was a fire? But at least now that he works dayshift, it's a bit less worry, as there will be 2 of us getting them out. We have tip and tilt windows so they open like a door. The plan is basically to get both children in one room with us (any bedroom will work depending on which room is safest at the time), and throw a mattress out onto the ground, then each of us take a child and jump. My handbag with the keys is always in same place at night, right next to bed. Spare keys for each door are just inside door just in case.

DS3 still doesn't understand the "don't hide from fire" although we're working on it. DS2 repeats it, but not quite sure if he understands or not. Our other 2 children are adults in their own home. I think we'll remind them both about having a fire evacuation plan.

My next door neighbour came hammering on my door one night, asking me to take her DCs in and phone her DH in the pub. Her new tumble dryer had burst in to flames right in front of her.

We had a leaflet through the door shortly after asking if we wanted the fire brigade to come round and do a check on the house.

I gladly took them up on it and now have an escape plan in place.

The one thing that impressed me was how effective the doors are. I did not really trust the 'half hour protection' they are meant to give. I went in my neighbours house after the fire and although the kitchen was gutted, including UPVC back door melted, everything else looked fine.

Quite right, theodorakis - particularly with regard to reporting obstructed or locked fire exits. I think we could all probably remember a number of fire tragedies in recent years where that was a critical factor. It often happens, particularly in places of entertainment where the building maintenance may not be that great (no investment in new systems) and where they want to keep things locked for 'security' reasons eg to stop younger people getting in the back doors or leaving them open, say, for friends to access without paying or to have cigarettes in no-smoking buildings.

Can I also add that it is always a good idea to locate your nearest exit in public areas? And, if you see an obstructed or locked fire exit, report it. If they are not taking you seriously, call the police. Here in Qatar, you may know we had a terrible fire in our shopping mall recently. It has completely changed my attitude

This is really helpful. I don't have a plan so I've just been thinking up one. Some of our upstairs windows only open a fraction, some kind of safety thing, which is bothering me know. Do you think I can change the setting or something? Rather than changing the windows!

Pils double lock their front door and put the key in a 'safe' place which always concerned me when we stayed there. It wasn't to bad as DP had spare keys so we could keep them nearby when we were sleeping.

DS1 has just spent a weekend with pils by himself and I'd forgotten about the keys. I don't want him to stay there again on his own now that I've remembered.

My parents are obsessed with putting the dishwasher, washing machine and tumble drier on overnight to save money :(

Great thread to get people thinking and planning. Like PP I have a phobia of fire so am paranoid about making sure I know escape routes even in hotels etc (down to always having shoes and jumpers/coats where they can be grabbed incase of evacuation!)

The simplest way to ensure your plan for home is as good as possible is to phone your local fire station and ask them to do a safety check - they will point out things you probably wouldn't have thought of (danger of tumble dryer - always "defluff" it and don't leave on when your out), put fire alarms in for free and ensure everyone knows the best plans.

Also don't rely on landlines if there is a fire it could burn through the wires for the phone - make sure you have a charged mobile phone with you when you go to bed or carry it with you if home alone.

Also check your fire alarms haven't expired. They only last 8-10 years or so, and will become worse at detecting smoke over that time.

Also don't set dishwashers, etc to come on over night.

A friend did this and was woken at 4am by the smoke alarm. The dishwasher caught fire, they got out but the house was wrecked and their pets died.

My dishwasher also burst into flames once. Luckily in the evening while I was in the dining room so I managed to put it out quickly.

One additional thing - over and above the good advice earlier in the thread. Get yourselves a fire safe (fairly cheap on the internet) to keep all your documents in all the time eg insurance policies, birth and marriage certificates, photos and flash drives with information etc etc. (You could also keep stuff online in one form or another.) Dealing with the aftermath of a fire is a lot easier if you have all that to hand.

I've been in a fire. Didnt smell it at all until we opened the slightly ajar bedroom door . Then all the smoke rushed in and it was like being under water - you cannot breathe - at all. Suddenly putting clothes on was irrelevant as I needed oxygen more . It was awful.

I am seriously fire-phobic. Everywhere I have lived, my first thought has always been 'how do we get out in a fire?'. When I was little, I had recurring nightmares about fires, being trapped in a house fire. So, I have implemented strict rules. In my house, my parent's house, my Grandparent's house and DP's parent's house.

My phobia does not override my will to help, though. A few years back, I was in a friend's house for drinks, we went out for a smoke (down her garden, which was huge), and came back inside to find the sitting room engulfed in flames. One friend ran out the front door, the other stood screaming for her husband to wake up. I had the presence of mind to run to the kitchen and wet lots of towels to fling on the flames. I did this again and again, until the fire brigade arrived.

I got over my fire 'fear' that night. Kind of. Am still paranoid about checking fire alarms everywhere I stay. Maybe I'm not over it as well as I think I am.

Luckily am ground floor apartment. Smoke alarms wired into mains with back up battery. It's a new build with fire doors. Any fire and I would just go out my bedroom window.
And I know I fit because I leapt out of it once when I thought I was being burgled

Lilicat1013

There are things you can do, if a ladder doesn't reach the floor you can get to the end, and dangle off so only your hands are on the last rung, then you can drop. OK you may break a leg or two, but you will be alive.

I second amillionyears

Also when you check in make sure staff are aware of any mobility needs, difficulty you may have evacuating because you have children or cannot walkl down stairs.

It suprising the attitude staff have when I mention on check in that in the event of an alarm I will not be able to self evacuate.

The grotty (usually with grumpy staff) at travelodges just take out the appropriate form, fill it in for staff change over and then tell me where the safe waiting places are. One thing they do have right is that their staff are obviously trained in fire safety.

We have a plan. DD's bedroom window opens onto a small area of flat roof above the extension - if we can't get down the stairs then we go out of her window. Keys to windows and doors are all kept in the same place all the time. Smoke alarms downstairs and upstairs, plus doors all shut at night.

I can recommend getting your Guiding/Scouting leaders to arrange a visit from the local fire brigade. My Brownies had a visit to get their Fire Safety badge and it was a brilliant evening. Cost nothing, great fun, they all got to wear a fire fighter's helmet and try to blue lights on the engine ... then they all went home and nagged their parents about smoke alarms and plans.

When my friend was a little girl, at Christmas time, she woke up in the night for no reason and decided to go downstairs, just as she passed the lounge the Christmas tree caught fire from the lights that had been left on. Her family didn't have a smoke alarm, if she'd not woke up it would not have been a very different ending.

I have been woken by the fire alarm, and immediately smelt smoke, very scary. Luckily everyone got out safely, it turned out the fire was actually on a flat roof outside the building but enough smoke came in through an open window to set off the smoke detector.

And to break double glazed windows you need to hit them as hard as you can as close as you can get to a corner. A fire safety officer told me that. Thankfully I've never had to test it.

And *happyscouse we use those timers every day and have done for years. No problems so far.

Thanks ladies just went and put keys in draws by all the windows

we've been burgled this week, and one of the new security measures we have taken is to buy those plug in timers to switch lamps on, now reading this thread i dont want to leave them plugged in...gah what to do !

YANBU. We have an escape plan and 2 smoke alarms. Out of DS's window onto the garage roof, which is a separate building but reachable. We're having new windows fitted and his is the escape one and can fit a mattress through for a safe landing.

About 20 years ago our oven caught fire and exploded shattering the glass door whilst I was making DS's breakfast. It was a fault apparently. I had 6 firemen in my dining room and DS and I had to sit in the fire engine until they made it safe and tried to clear the toxic smoke/fumes from the house. It stunk of burning plastic for weeks and the entire kitchen had to be replaced due to heat/smoke damage. They were lovely I was a nervous wreck tho and took DS to school with no pants on when it was PE. He's just about forgiven me.

But seriously, it was terrifying and happened so quickly. If you haven't got them already get smoke alarms and an escape plan. Fire spreads so quickly. I was out of my depth in minutes and panic set in. Get smoke alarms and an exit plan all of you!

My house caught fire and we were out of it for over 6 months due to the damage. The fire started in the LOFT. The previous owners had put spotlights in the bathroom and then over a period of time had the loft boarded. A wire from one of the spot lights was trapped under the boards and apparently was getting continually hot and contracting and as the loft in quite a dry hot place, when the fire started, it took only minutes to really get going. It took 11 years before the wires wore out and the fire started and we were never aware that a wire was trapped.

The fire brigade advised us and all our neighbours to have fire alarms fitted that radio linked to one another. They said to definitely put one in the loft!!!

To be honest, neither us or any of our neighbours ever thought we would need an alarm in the loft but my family and I are living proof that one is definitely needed. We were lucky to get out alive and if the ceilings had given way whilst we were all in bed then we would not be here now.

twas an old N.ireland safety advert slogan thing 'geat out, staaay out, geat the fi-re brig-aaade out'

do you think fire ladder is ok given our small house? it's like a two-up, two down?

Only thing i'd be worried about would be hanging it out the window and flames licking round the window below that it would be hanging over...