It is the worst nightmare of all apartment dwellers: a fire that not only destroys your belongings but leaves you homeless, too. We’ve all heard that fire alarm go off before and that feeling of dread soon follows. Here are a few essential tips you can follow to keep yourself and your things safe during your next fire.

It has become commonplace that most fire alarms in most apartment complexes are false alarms. Some buildings have so many false alarms that people hardly even react to the sound of the alarm going off anymore, especially if they live 15 floors up and have to walk down all those stairs. However, even a false alarm should be treated with respect and followed. Once you hear the alarm, make sure you turn off your stove or oven if you’re cooking, turn off any running water you have anywhere in your unit and then grab a coat if its cold and head out the door. If you have kids, you obviously want to prepare them as best you can. Don’t yell or panic, that will only make the situation worse. If you have pets, try to have their cages or carriers ready to go at all times so preparing them to leave is easy. They will likely be quite scared by the sound of the alarm, so try to act as calmly as possible. Respect what the fire fighters tell you and don’t try to go back into your apartment until the folks who run your complex tell you its safe.