THE National Fire Authority wants the public to have fire evacuation plans for their homes.
The authority says this is essential so that family members know what to do in the event of a fire.
NFA chief executive John O'Connor said it was very important that members of the community included fire safety as part of their family discussions.
"If there is a fire in your property, you need to be ready to act quickly.
"Make sure you are prepared and that everyone in your family knows exactly what to do," said Mr O'Connor.
He said the majority of homes in the community were burglar-barred and it was important for family members to prepare an escape plan in case of a fire which everyone in the house must be well versed with.
"NFA has attended to fatal fires involving children or families being trapped inside their home because of heavy burglar bars and with no escape plan in place. We must all strive to ensure such incidents are not repeated."
He said households must practise escape plans regularly and ensure all family members knew it so that in the event of a fire, they would know what to do.