Emergency evacuation plan

An evacuation plan lays out how to exit a building safely during an emergency. Every member of your family should be familiar with several ways to leave the house and know a safe meeting place outside the building.

When there's a high level of smoke or carbon monoxide in your home, you need to exit as quickly as possible. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), your ability to exit your home in the event of an emergency depends on advance warning from smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, as well as advance planning.

In case of a fire, carbon monoxide leak, earthquake or other emergency, everyone in your family should be familiar with your home evacuation plan.

Create your escape plan

Be prepared when your smoke or carbon monoxide alarm goes off. Develop a family escape plan, discuss it with ALL household members and practice it regularly.

• Make sure everyone is familiar with the sound of your smoke and carbon monoxide alarm. To do so, press the Nest button on one of your Google Nest Protects at home to start a manual test. Nest Protect will start a countdown before sounding both smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. 
   
• Determine TWO exits from each room and have an escape route to the outside from each exit.
   
• In the event of a fire, teach all the members of your household to check doors for heat with the back of their hand before opening them, and to use the alternate exit if the door is hot. For more information on what to do in the case of a smoke alarm:
  What should I do if Nest Protect detects smoke in my house?
   
• Teach all the members of your household to crawl along the floor to avoid dangerous smoke, fumes and gases. 
   
• In the event of a carbon monoxide alarm, remember that you cannot see or smell carbon monoxide. Even though it's not obvious that something's wrong, everyone needs to immediately move to fresh air. For more information on what to do in the case of a carbon monoxide alarm:
  What should I do if carbon monoxide is detected in my house?
   
• Determine a safe meeting place where all household members can regroup outside the building.This could be your front driveway or certain spot in the yard that everyone will remember.

Practice fire and carbon monoxide safety

• Practice your escape plan at least twice a year, making sure that everyone is involved, from kids to grandparents. 
   
• Review the symptoms of carbon monoxide, since they're often mistaken for the flu. To learn more about the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning: 
  What are the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning?
   
• Practice the escape plan with children, including holding a drill at night when they are sleeping. 
   
• Because children may not wake up to the sound of the smoke or carbon monoxide alarm, or if there are infants or family members with mobility limitations or hearing impairments, make sure that someone is assigned to help them for the fire drill and in the event of an emergency.

What should I do if carbon monoxide is detected in my house?

Be prepared with What to Do in the Nest app

Be prepared with What to Do in the Nest app What To Do gives you useful advice on how to prepare for an emergency ahead of time. You'll see how to plan an evacuation, safely exit, and more. When an emergency occurs, you'll also get essential tips and an emergency number button so you can call quickly. Learn more about the Nest app's What to Do feature For more information on how to identify and prevent carbon monoxide poisoning, visit the Center for Disease Control. For more information on how to create an evacuation plan, visit  the NFPA. Source: National Fire Protection Association