Plan to survive the flames

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Creating a home fire escape plan will help your family think fast and get out quickly when the smoke alarm sounds. Jason Rhodes of the Overland Park Fire Department says a fire can double in size every minute. He says the time to practice your plan in right now.

“You don't want to practice something under pressure. You wouldn't want a surgeon who’s going to operate on you to practice during that operation. You want he or she to know what they're doing before they get there so you've got to practice it ahead of time," he said.

You should walk through your home and inspect all possible exits. Make sure smoke alarms are installed near every sleeping room in the house. Working smoke alarms reduce the risk of dying in a home fire. Alarms should be interconnected so that each alarm sounds.

Everyone should understand the home fire escape plan. Make sure to set up an outdoor meeting place that is a safe distance from the home and when you're out of the house, stay out.