Have an EXIT strategy - Work, Live, Play

Imagine you are in a crowded place and a fire breaks out.... do you have an exit strategy?

Many people overestimate the amount of time they might have to escape from a fire. Many mistakenly believe they have at least six minutes to escape before a fire becomes life threatening. Fire and toxic smoke spread much quicker than you might think.

A small fire can grow in a matter of seconds into an inferno, creating thick toxic smoke. Temperatures can quickly soar to 800 degrees or more. Flashover, the point in a fire when superheated gases cause everything in a room to ignite, can kill occupants within 2 - 4 minutes.

In any fire, seconds count. Once a room becomes thick with smoke, it is difficult to see. In the panic, people rush to the only way they know out, the entrance. However, that may not always be the best or quickest way out.

Whenever you enter a building, any building, be it a mall, your child's school or day care, the local post office, plan an exit strategy. Notice at least two different exits that you can use in the case of an emergency.

Why two exits? Any one exit can become blocked in the event of an emergency, so having at least one and preferably two alternative exits, can save your life.

EXITS: Make a mental note of where they are located. Not just doors with lit exit signs, but windows as well, if you are on the first floor.

DOORS: Take notice. Are they blocked or locked? Sometimes, restaurants or retail managers lock doors to keep people from sneaking in or out. In a club, bands may stack their equipment off stage. Trash or boxes may be stacked in front of a door. If you ever see a door blocked, bring it to the attention of the owner/manager and local authorities immediately. Objects in exit ways (halls leading to an exit), boxes, stacked merchandise, equipment, trash, can impede the exit pathway in case of an emergency.  Keeping exit pathways clear of any obstacle enables people to exit a location, quickly and safely.

CROWDS: Clubs, restaurants, public establishments have capacity limitations put in place by the local authorities for your safety. If people are jammed in to a location like sardines, move close to an exit. If doors or halls are also packed, report it to the local authorities. Often times like new year's, birthdays, weddings, Fourth of July - when people get together to celebrate, especially if alcohol is involved, safety is forgotten.

Keep a level head, don't panic and be confident that you have an exit strategy in place.

** The Have a Exit Strategy was the result of a study conducted by the Texas State Fire Marshall's office in 2004. They conducted fire safety inspections of bars, nightclubs, lounges and dance halls in eight Texas counties. Of the 189 establishments that they inspected, 182 of them had means of egress violations. For more information and resources, visit Texas State Fire Marshall - Have an Exit Strategy.