- Create a floor plan and indicate all doors and windows on it, and immediately indicate an escape route. Upstairs windows may require a rope or escape ladder.
- Familiarise everyone living in the home with the sound of the alarm and practice leaving the home when hearing the alarm. Repeat the exercise regularly.
- If the alarm goes off, leave the house immediately according to your flight plan. Every second counts; so react quickly. If you do not immediately see smoke or feel any heat and the detector still goes off, make sure that all people in the house are in a safe place before you start checking the smoke detector.
- Do not open any inner door during your flight without first feeling the surface of the door to check if the door feels warm; if that's the case, do not open the door. If there's smoke coming out of the gaps of the door, keep it closed as well. Choose another escape route.
- If the inner door is cold, put your shoulder against it, open the door slightly and check for heat and smoke in the room. In that case, be prepared to close the door again.
- If there is a lot of smoke in the air, stay low to the ground and breathe shallowly through a preferably damp cloth.
- When you are outside, call the fire brigade as soon as possible.