Near Home Meeting Point

An aerial view of a suburban neighborhood featuring a cul-de-sac surrounded by houses with various roof styles and colors, trees, lawns, and parked cars.

Type 1: Near-Home Meeting Point

What This Is For

Your near-home meeting point is where your family gathers immediately after evacuating your house. This is for sudden emergencies when you have seconds to minutes to get out—house fires, gas leaks, immediate earthquake aftershocks, or any situation where you can't stay inside but don't need to leave the neighborhood.

The National Fire Protection Association reports that you may have as little as two minutes to escape a house fire. Your near-home meeting point needs to be somewhere everyone can reach that quickly.

Criteria for Your Near-Home Meeting Point

Your near-home meeting point should be:

  • Close - Within 50-100 feet of your house (30-60 seconds away)

  • Obvious - Easy to describe and recognize, even in the dark or smoke

  • Safe - Away from the house in case of fire/explosion

  • Visible - Where you can see who has arrived

  • Accessible - Everyone can get there, including children and elderly

  • Clear - Not blocked by gates, fences, or obstacles

Good examples:

  • The mailbox at the end of your driveway

  • A specific large tree in the front yard

  • The neighbor's driveway across the street

  • A fire hydrant or street sign at the corner

  • The light post three houses down

Not good:

  • Inside your yard (too close if there's fire/gas)

  • Behind your house (not visible from street for first responders)

  • The neighbor's backyard (not immediately accessible)

  • "Near the park" (too vague)

Choose Your Near-Home Meeting Point Now

Walk outside your home and look around. What's the most obvious landmark within 100 feet?

Write it down specifically:

  • Not: "the tree"

  • Yes: "the big oak tree with the tire swing in the Johnsons' yard at 123 Oak Street"

Make sure it's specific enough that:

  • A child can describe it: "the mailbox with the red flag"

  • A 911 operator can understand it: "the corner of Oak and Elm, northwest side"

  • You can find it in the dark: "the streetlight in front of 125 Oak"

Tell Everyone and Practice

Once you've chosen your near-home meeting point:

1. Show every family member - Walk there together

2. Take a photo - Show what it looks like from different angles

3. Practice finding it - Have kids close their eyes, then open them and point to it

4. Make it part of your fire drill - Practice evacuating and meeting there

5. Tell your neighbors - "If there's ever an emergency, our family will meet at your mailbox. Is that okay with you?"

What to do when you arrive:

  • Count everyone - is anyone missing?

  • Stay there - don't go back inside for any reason

  • Call 911 if you haven't already

  • Wait for everyone to arrive

  • If someone is missing, tell firefighters immediately

Resources

  • NFPA Home Fire Escape Planning: https://www.nfpa.org/escape

  • Ready.gov Make a Plan: https://www.ready.gov/make-a-plan

Choosing Evacuation and Meeting Points