CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — If you were in a burning building, would you know how to get out?
According to the National Fire Protection Association, only one of three American households have actually developed and practiced a fire escape.
That's why Corpus Christi firefighters held a demonstration on the Del Mar West campus, to show how to escape a smoke-filled room.
"Once that smoke alarm goes off you only have about two minutes to get out," Corpus Christi Fire Marshal Randy Paige said.
With so little time, having a plan could save your life.
"Draw out your home," Paige said. "Take your kids and show them two ways out of each room and practice it."
The first step is to get down low.
"Smoke and heat rise so if you're standing up you can have temperatures of a thousand degrees which is not tenable. You'll die in that."
Crawl toward your primary exit and check the door with the back of your hand.
"If it's hot that tells you that there is fire on the other side and you're not going to be able to go out that way," he said.
Designate a "Meeting Place" outside your home to meet up with family members in case of an emergency.
In the meantime, firefighters say to test smoke detectors on a weekly basis.
The Corpus Christi Fire Department will install smoke detectors free of charge for city residents.
October is the perfect time to brush up on fire safety because it happens to be "National Fire Prevention Month."
For a fire escape plan template: https://www.cctexas.com/sites/default/files/fireescapeplan.pdf
