DETROIT (WXYZ) — The Detroit Fire Department wants families and business owners to be prepared in an emergency. That means knowing what to do in the event of a fire.
They say a fire can grow quickly, leaving you with only minutes, sometimes only seconds, to get out of a burning building.
“One of the things I like to reiterate or put into people’s minds, fire can double itself every 30 seconds, so you’re fighting against time," said Detroit Fire Captain Edward Davis.
That's why his department is asking you to have a detailed fire escape plan in place.
On Monday, Davis helped a young mother create a plan of her own, which involved going room by room to locate the nearest exits, establishing a meeting spot outside the home, and drawing up an evacuation plan.
“You don’t want to try and figure things out on the fly," said Davis. "You want to have a blueprint or a game plan in place prior to an incident happening."
Davis says the most important aspect of any fire escape plan is having working smoke detectors. He recommends using a secondary device as well.
“Some form of air horn, whistle, megaphone, something to alert the rest of the house," said Davis.
He says these tools can help everyone, especially kids, understand when there's an emergency and that it's time to drop everything and leave.
“Anything can happen, and you would rather be safe than sorry," said Timberely Williams.
While she's never experienced a house fire herself, she says she remembers her neighbor's house catching on fire when she was a teenager.
“A car burned up. It was scary because my parents never went over how to get out of a house in case of a fire," said Williams.
Williams, who has two kids of her own and is in the process of adopting her niece and nephew, will be taking care of four kids soon, and she wants to make sure there’s a set plan in place in her home.
“Having this plan and actually doing this is helping me keep her and her brother safe, and keep my niece and nephew safe, and help us get out safely," said Williams.
If you're looking for more information on fire safety, the Detroit Fire Department encourages you to take part in their free monthly webinars on the city website.
There's one scheduled on fire escape planning on Wednesday, April 9, at 6 p.m., and another on summer fire safety happening in May.
