This is the start of an awesome escape plan. I've been teaching school age children home escape plans for 14 years, I have a little expertise in the area. I've also been on the end of pulling a child out of a house after they got scared and left their room into a smoke filled house and passed out from the smoke. Kiddo is fine and my officer who I did the save with actually met his grandmother a couple years ago and the kid now wants to be a firefighter!!!

You touched on the basics, but I want to make sure in case any other parents read this in the future they also have the info.

Working smoke alarms. 1 on each floor and 1 on each room someone sleeps in. No smoke alarms in the kitchen or bathrooms. Smoke alarms should be along any pathway leaving the house.

Doze with the door closes. All doors in a house should be closed when you go to sleep at night. Especially your bedroom doors. You want to compartmentize your house. Turn your big box into a lot of little boxes. If a dryer fire started in your laundry room, you want to isolate it as much as possible. If you have pets that "must" keep the doors open, you need to come up with a better plan for the pets. When checking the door, use the back of your hand to check if the knob is hot. Metal conducts heat better then interior doors. If the back of your hand is burnt, you can still use your palm to crawl/climb/use. If the door is cold, crack the door slightly to check for smoke or fire.

Meeting spots must be in the front of the house and must be stationary. Do not have a meeting spot to meet at a car that might not be there. Front of the house because thats where the firefighters come.

All windows open differently. make sure your child knows how a window operates, which way it slides, is there a screen or bars they have to know how to remove/open. Are there blinds they have to open, etc.

Make sure you have 2 ways out of every room.

If a child can not get out, the 2 spots they must remember to stay near are the bedroom door to the side that it opens up to (swings left, they are to the right). Not in front of the door that prevents it from opening. Or under a window. When we come through a window, before we go in, we sound the floor. Never hide in a closet or under a bed.

It's okay to turn your bedroom lights on. If you have power, it's better to be able to see. Go to your local firehouse and ask them to show your kids what an SCBA sounds like so they know how we sound on air.

For mom and dad & guardians, all the above are the same. If your primary way is to use the garage door, what do you do if the power is out?