"The Great Escape" may conjure up images of Houdini, but the Hanford Fire Prevention Month activity in October is no magic act.

The Hanford Fire Department, working in conjunction with the nonprofit national Fire Protection Association, and fire departments throughout the United States and Canada, implemented the North American fire drill – "The Great Escape" – during Fire Prevention Week. (The Hanford site designates october as Fire Prevention Month to allow for a wider range of activities.)

"The Great Escape" is a concerted effort to get citizens throughout North America actively involved in fire safety, specifically home escape planning and practice. The Hanford Fire Department strongly encouraged all site employees to develop home escape plans and practice them on the Wednesday of Fire Prevention Week.

"The Great Escape was a fun activity for entire families to participate in during Fire Prevention Week, but it also could save their lives," says Hanford Fire Chief Don Good. "If a fire breaks out in your home, you and your family only have a few minutes to escape safely. Home fire escape planning and practice ensures that everyone in the household will know how to use that small window of opportunity effectively and get out alive."

In addition to "The Great Escape" fire drill on October 7, the Hanford Fire Department invited Hanford employees to participate in the North American "The Great Escape" grand prize contest. Everyone who developed a home escape plan submitted it to the Hanford Fire Department. Participating fire departments received all submitted entries, review and select one plan, and send it to NFPA.

The Hanford Fire Department encouraged all participants to use a mapping grid that can be picked up the nearest fire station.