Escape Routes

Walkie-talkies are hand-held, two-way radios that have been used for communication during disasters since World War II. In wartime settings, walkie-talkies were the only means of live...

Residential bathrooms pose great dangers for people whose abilities are limited. The two biggest bathroom safety hazards are falling and inappropriate access to drugs. A person whose mobility and...

Operating elevators in fire service mode requires specialized training in order to understand how it differs from normal operations. It is important for firefighters who routinely work with high...

The first 72 hours after a major emergency or disaster are critical, warns the California Emergency Management Agency (CAL EMA) (www.calema.ca.gov). Gas, water, electricity and/or telephones may...

No one wants to think about their home going up in flames, but fires destroy thousands of residential structures each year. And it doesn't take long for a fire to spread. Often you have just a...

High winds can be terrifying. Any serious brush with nature can result in degraded services and utilities that ensure a safe and comfortable home life. The damage caused by high winds may be so...

Adding a basement window gives a basement an escape route that increases the safety and value of a home. Quality and choices made at each stage along the way will determine the final price of...

The Americans with Disabilities Act provides guidelines for the construction of public and private spaces to facilitate the participation of people in wheelchairs. Ramps allow people in...

Car and house alarms keep people and their property safe and secure from intruders, but choosing the best and most sophisticated alarm system can be challenging. Because alarms can be touchy,...

Fire prevention programs require public support to be successful. Developing a thorough communication strategy for fire prevention will help shape perceptions and provoke positive action. Tap into...

Creating a personal or family disaster plan is crucial to surviving a natural disaster or emergency. Preparation for a disaster ideally begins long before a hurricane, tornado, earthquake or flood...

Planning a fire escape plan is very important for your family's safety as well as piece of mind. Planning ahead for the risk of a fire emergency is as simple as spending a few hours with your...

When another bedroom is necessary, building it in your basement is much less expensive than adding on to your home. However, building a bedroom in your basement requires more than just building...

Fire evacuation directions are posted in so many businesses and private buildings that it becomes easy to ignore any information pertaining to safety during a fire emergency. However, all it takes...

A fire door is an opening designed to prevent or slow the spread of fire and smoke within a building. These doors are installed in fire-rated walls and together they help keep a fire in check so...

Danger can strike at any moment, and if you're in a building, whether it be a single-story ranch home or a high rise, it's a good idea to know how to evacuate in the event of an emergency. Knowing...

If a fire were to break out in your home this evening, would you be prepared? Would everyone in your home know where to go and how to get there safely? Are you avoiding a fire evacuation plan...

Are you remodeling a home with asbestos floor tiles or working a job where asbestos floor tiles need to be removed? Then you need to know the risks associated with handling and removing asbestos...

The West Coast of the United States experiences the most earthquakes each year, but earthquakes can also occur on the East Coast and in the Midwest. You should know how to prepare for an...

A popular item during the 1950s and 1960s, underground survival shelters are back in vogue as people prepare for a range of catastrophes from cataclysmic storms to nuclear war. Planning an...

Exit signs are devices placed inside commercial buildings to guide occupants in case of an emergency. They are designed to help occupants quickly locate the building's exits and to evacuate...

Never assume that your family will instinctively know how to react during a fire. A fire drill should be performed twice a year, especially if there are children or senior citizens in the household.

Since Hurricane Katrina wreaked havoc on several southern states, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and those administering it have cleaned up their acts considerably. Weather...

When a fire begins in a home or business, people may have only minutes, perhaps even seconds, to get to safety. Fires result in more than 20,000 injuries and 4,000 deaths each year in the United...

Fire safety activities prepare children for emergency situations. Using a variety of interactive fire safety activities will make the learning process more fun and effective for kids. Having the...

Home safety is something you should start teaching you children early. Most elementary schools teach your children the basics, like the stop-drop-and-roll maneuver and to never play with fire....

Whether a threat to your family's safety comes in the form of a forest fire, earthquake, tornado, hurricane, chemical spill or terrorist attack, your chances of surviving it are increased if you...

If you are considering renovating your basement, you will likely find that your town requires the installation of egress windows. Most building codes mandate that egress windows be installed in...

Every fire department in the country recommends having a plan to escape your home or business in the event of a fire. When an emergency arises, there may not be any time to think. You have to move...

Four thousand children are treated for injuries from falling out of windows each year. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission claims that since 1990, 120 children's deaths have been due to...

Having a good set of stairs is essential for living in a mobile home. Without them, getting in and out of the mobile home would be difficult for the owner or, at the very least, amusing for the...

Learn how to remove burglar bars from home windows without causing property damage. Burglar bars are often screwed into masonry or cement, or the screws have rusted so firmly that care must be...

When it comes to personal safety, there are some things you can do around your home to be prepared in the event of a fire. If you are located on an upper floor of a home or apartment building, you...

Storm shelters are safe rooms meant to protect people against hurricanes and tropical storms. They are common in the Southern states, where this type of extreme weather is a normal recurrence in...

Efficient evacuation plans are necessary to save lives and avert panic in the face of both man-made and natural disasters. Not unlike fire drills that frequently disrupt a school day, evacuation...

Hillside shelter inserts have come a long way since the days of the underground shelters. Typically, hillside shelters are wheelchair and handicap accessible, making it easy for all family members...

Storm shelters come in many types and the type you will need depends on the storm situation you are subject to. It will also depend on personal preference. The first thing you need to know is the...

A tornado is a sphere shaped wind storm that develops from the base of a cumulus cloud. When the air begins to rotate, it touches the ground, creating a funnel of debris, commonly perceived as a...

The thought of a fire is so disturbing to many people that they prefer not to think about it at all. In the case of a house fire, what you don’t know truly can hurt you. Odds are that your...

In the event of a major hurricane, coastal residents may be ordered to evacuate their homes as the storm approaches. Putting together an advance hurricane evacuation checklist will help you and...

Once an impending threat to your home is announced, it’s too late to start planning your evacuation route. Threats such as hurricanes, blizzards, floods and wildfires typically happen with...

The sound of a fire alarm and the sight of fire and smoke is enough to strike fear into the hears of most people. An animal who does not understand the situation is likely to be even more...

Relocating yourself and some of your personal belongings to a new city can be an exhilarating experience that will last a lifetime or it can turn into a disaster. Here are a few ideas and hints to...

It's happened to most of us at least once--the dreaded, inescapable dinner invitation from the well-meaning superior. Whether you're dining together to go over a current project or being rewarded...

Having a concrete storm shelter in the backyard is a safety must for anyone who lives in the tornado alley of the United States. The timing when the tornadoes will come is unpredictable but you...

You've probably at least one movie where a person tries to break a door down by ramming his shoulder into it. When that doesn't work, he gets a running start and try again. Sometimes he even has a...

You never know when or where a fire will start. There are procedures to follow if you find yourself or someone else in a burning building. Be careful and aware of what is going on around you when...

Whether you're trying to escape a fire or impress your friends with a flashy physical feat, jumping off a roof is tricky business. It takes practice to do it safely, and even the practice carries...

Escaping the fury of a tornado comes with awareness of weather patterns and knowledge of how to be safe should you be in the path of a tornado. Safety procedures that need to be put into play when...

People living in a two or more storied building should have an emergency plan. The easiest way to have an alternate escape route is to purchase an emergency escape ladder. Escape ladders come in a...