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Homes: Protect Yourself With A Fire Escape Plan

(NC)-While most homeowners list fire as one of their main reasons for obtaining home insurance, only 56 per cent have a fire escape plan. This is according to a recent RBC Insurance/Ipsos Reid poll that also found more than half (51 per cent) of those with a fire escape plan have never practiced it.

Here are five tips for developing a fire escape plan:

• Draw a floor plan of your home including all possible exits from each room.
• Practice the plan regularly with the entire family, especially at night since most fire deaths occur while you sleep.
• Designate an emergency meeting spot close to your home, like a tree or fire hydrant.
• Figure out how to easily exit windows. Is there a garage roof below? A nearby tree? Do you need an escape ladder?
• Remember to have a fire extinguisher in your home - the RBC Insurance survey also found that almost one-third of Canadian homeowners do not have a fire extinguisher in their home.

More information is available online at www.rbcinsurance.com/firesafety or call 1-800-769-2526.

- News Canada