Survey finds many families do not have a fire plan

Boston – Thirty-eight percent of parents have never created or discussed a fire escape plan with their family, according to a recent survey conducted by Liberty Mutual. Of those parents, 61 percent said it had not occurred to them to create a fire plan.

Additional survey results include:

• 88 percent of respondents said their children have participated in a fire drill at school; however, only 28 percent of families have conducted a fire drill at home.
• Among the 62 percent of families who have created or discussed a fire escape plan, less than one-third (31 percent) have practiced that plan in the past 12 months.
• 32 percent of respondents believe their children are unprepared to escape and survive if a fire were to occur in the home.

“Discussing the reality of home fires can sometimes be difficult for parents, but it’s critical that every member of a family knows what do in the event of a fire and, according to the National Fire Protection Association, children can start understanding fire safety messages as young as 18-24 months of age,” said Tom Harned, a property risk field manager with Liberty Mutual Insurance and volunteer firefighter.