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Free fire escape plan · Tennessee

Free Fire Escape Plan for Tennessee Homes and Shops

Take each level of a Tennessee home, shop or office on its own: upload its plan, photo or sketch, and the free draft sets out the doors, the stairs, the routes between them and an outdoor meeting point. The rest of the page covers TOSHA and the state fire code, earthquake steps for West Tennessee, hillside buildings with doors on two levels, and the fire departments in Nashville, Memphis and Knoxville.

Draft my Tennessee plan Hillside buildings on two levels
  • No sign-up to preview
  • Each level drawn on its own
  • Walkout levels welcome

A planning draft, not an inspection or approval. TOSHA, the State Fire Marshal’s Office or your local fire marshal decides what applies to your building.

Last reviewed: October 9, 2026 · Review with a qualified safety professional when required.
Illustration: fictional plans of a hillside outfitter’s two levels, sketched on graph paper, turned into a fire escape plan draft with green routes to the street door above and the walkout door below, safety symbols and a meeting point in the lower lot
Illustration · fictional hillside outfitter, not a customer plan

TOSHA and the state fire code

TOSHA and the fire code adopted in Tennessee

Tennessee runs its own OSHA-approved program, TOSHA, and OSHA says the Tennessee State Plan applies to private-sector workplaces in the state, with listed exceptions (OSHA). For buildings, the State Fire Marshal’s Office says its new code rules became effective on April 17, 2025 (Tennessee State Fire Marshal’s Office).

  • TOSHA

    Who the state plan covers

    OSHA’s page for the Tennessee State Plan says it applies to private-sector workplaces in the state, apart from the exceptions it lists, and that TOSHA also covers state and local government workers (OSHA).

  • Fire code

    The 2021 International Fire Code

    The State Fire Marshal’s Office lists the 2021 edition of the International Fire Code, with amendments in an appendix, among its currently adopted codes (Tennessee State Fire Marshal’s Office). It also notes the discontinuance of the NFPA 101 Life Safety Code for state buildings, schools and other buildings that need its initial inspection (State Fire Marshal’s Office).

  • Big cities

    Knoxville, Memphis and Nashville review their own

    The State Fire Marshal’s Office approves exempt jurisdictions to do plans review and inspections for many buildings that would otherwise need its approval, and its list includes Knoxville, Memphis and Nashville/Davidson County (Tennessee State Fire Marshal’s Office).

Before you post a Tennessee plan

  • One map for each level, with its own outside door marked.
  • The stair between levels, labeled on both maps.
  • A meeting point that people on both levels can reach on foot.
  • The name or job title of the person to ask about the plan.

West Tennessee and New Madrid

Earthquake steps for Memphis and West Tennessee

The USGS lists three large New Madrid earthquakes in 1811 and 1812; the last, a magnitude 7.5 on February 7, 1812, struck along the Reelfoot fault in Missouri and Tennessee (USGS). A business in Memphis or elsewhere in West Tennessee can keep earthquake steps beside the fire routes on its map.

While the ground shakes

  • Drop to the floor, take cover and hold on.
  • Stay inside rather than running for a door.
  • Keep away from doorways.

Once the shaking stops

  • Look over each route and stair before using it.
  • Leave by whichever route is still clear, not only the usual one.
  • Meet in an open spot, away from walls, trees and power lines.

Inside when it starts

Ready.gov says that if you are inside, stay there and do not run outside, avoid doorways, and drop, cover and hold on (Ready.gov).

  • Outside

    A meeting point in the open

    If you are outside, Ready.gov says to move to an open area away from buildings, trees, streetlights and power lines (Ready.gov). Hold the meeting point on your fire map to the same test.

  • In writing

    An earthquake page next to the map

    OSHA’s emergency action plan rule asks for evacuation procedures, exit route assignments and a way to account for employees afterward (OSHA 1910.38). Staff in West Tennessee can keep their earthquake steps on a page beside the posted map.

Assembly point · the generator

Upload your Tennessee home, shop or hillside building plan

Use a floor plan, a phone photo of a sketch or a PDF from your architect. For a building on a slope, upload the street level and the walkout level separately; the draft adds routes, exits, safety symbols and a meeting point.

  • Name each level by its outside door
  • Label the stair on both levels
  • Show the steps down the hill
📊 5 Free Maps Left

Create Your Evacuation Map

See the safety plan from every angleWatch a sketch become a polished map, then step inside.Watch demo Need to start from a rough layout?Sketch rooms and exits, then turn it into a clear safety map.Draw your map
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High ContrastUse dark ink on white paper. Bold lines help our AI detect walls accurately
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Top-Down AnglePhotograph from directly above — tilted angles distort the geometry
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Label RoomsWrite "Exit", "Storage", "Breakroom" etc. — our AI reads your labels for compliance
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Full Floor PlanCapture the entire layout including all walls, doors, and exits — no cropping
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Mark ExitsCircle or label exit doors with a red dot or "EXIT" text for best detection
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Good LightingAvoid shadows and glare — even lighting produces the sharpest results
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Drag & drop your floor plan here

or

PNG, JPG, HEIC, TIFF, BMP, SVG, AVIF, WebP, PDF, DOC, DOCX, PPT, PPTX, XLS, XLSX, ODT, ODP, ODS, DXF, DWG - Hand-drawn sketches work too!

or

No floor plan handy? Try the included floor plan with real AI generation — no upload needed. This may take a minute or longer.

Edit your map for free.
Move, resize, and recolor every exit sign, route, and icon.
Create a free account to save and download in HD. No credit card required.FREE
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Compliance Options

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Customize Your Map

Add special requests for your safety map - tell our AI exactly what you need!

  • 🎯Add specific details like "Mark fire extinguisher near kitchen"
  • 📍Request specific zones: "Highlight assembly point in parking lot"
  • 🏥Add safety equipment: "Include AED location near reception"
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Quick Add:

Automatic (recommended)

Redraw the architecture from your floor plan first, then add editable safety markings. The original upload remains a reference, not the map background.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this evacuation map generator really free?

Yes — you can generate your first OSHA-aligned evacuation map draft completely free. Just upload a floor plan and our AI drafts a professional map in about 30 seconds. No credit card required.

Are the generated maps aligned with OSHA?

Our AI drafts maps that follow OSHA 29 CFR 1910.36–37 and NFPA 101 Life Safety Code standards. Every map includes clearly marked exits, fire extinguisher locations, assembly points, and directional evacuation arrows. Supervisor review is required before posting to your facility.

What file formats can I upload?

We accept PNG, JPG, GIF, WebP, BMP, TIFF, AVIF, HEIC, SVG, PDF, DOC/DOCX, PPT/PPTX, XLS/XLSX, ODT, ODP, ODS, DXF, and DWG floor plans. Office and CAD files are converted securely before processing; PDF uploads let you choose the source page.

How long does map generation take?

Most maps are generated in 20–40 seconds. Complex multi-floor plans may take slightly longer. You see the preview instantly — create a free account (no credit card) to download the file.

Can I edit the map after generation?

Yes — every generated map opens in a free drag-and-drop editor where you can move, resize, and recolor exit signs, routes, and equipment icons. Enterprise features like multi-floor support and branded maps are available on paid plans.

Is my floor plan data secure?

Yes. All uploads are encrypted in transit (TLS 1.3) and processed in secure cloud environments. We do not share your floor plans with third parties.

Every result is a draft. Walk each route on both levels, and the steps down the hill, before you post it.

Before and after

From a hillside building plan to a posted draft

The plain plans show both levels of a building set into a hill: a store with an office on the upper level, entered from the street, and a rental and repair shop with a storage room on the lower level, which is built into the slope at the back and walks out onto a lower lot. An inside stair links them. The draft routes each level to its own outside door, the upper level also to the stair, and everyone to one meeting point in the lot.

Fictional plain floor plans of a hillside building: an upper level with a sales floor, office and stair that opens onto the street, and a lower level with a repair shop, storage room and stair that walks out onto a lower lot, but no routes or safety symbols
BeforePlain plans of a fictional hillside outfitter’s two levels.
The same fictional hillside building as an illustrative fire escape plan draft with green routes to the street door on the upper level and the walkout door on the lower level, a route from the sales floor to the inside stair, outside routes down the hill steps and from the walkout door to an assembly point in the lower lot, exit signs, extinguishers, pull stations, first aid kits, a You are here marker and a legend
After · illustrationDrawn for this page with OSHAMap’s map frame and symbols. The outfitter, the hillside and every placement are fictional, not a Tennessee customer plan or a live result.

What the draft adds to a two-level plan

  • Routes from the sales floor and the office to the street door
  • A second way out down the inside stair to the lower level
  • Routes from the repair shop and the storage room to the walkout door
  • One meeting point in the lower lot, reached by the hill steps
  • Exit signs at the street door and the walkout door
  • Extinguishers on the sales floor, in the repair shop and in storage
  • Pull stations by both outside doors and a first aid kit on each level

East Tennessee hillsides

Hillside buildings with doors on two levels

In Knoxville and the hill towns of East Tennessee, many shops, offices and homes are built into a slope, with the front door at street level and a walkout door to a lower lot or yard at the back. Each level leaves at a different height, so each needs its own map, with the stair between them marked on both.

Animation: a fictional hillside outfitter drawn as two levels. The street door on the upper level and the walkout door on the lower level are highlighted, routes grow on each level to its own door, the inside stair on both levels is highlighted as the second way out, a boat trailer parked at the walkout door is crossed out, outside routes run down the hill steps and from the walkout door to a meeting point in the lower lot, and the safety symbols are added
Illustration · fictional hillside building. The door and stair highlights and the crossed-out trailer are teaching marks, not generator symbols.View static frame
  1. Treat each level as its own floorOSHA’s exit route rule generally calls for at least two exit routes and allows one only where everyone can still get out safely, given the building’s size, occupancy and layout (OSHA 1910.36). On a hillside, the second way out of one level is often the stair to the other level’s door.
  2. Draw the wall built into the hill as solidThe back wall of a walkout level is often below ground, with no door or window to leave by. Show it as a plain solid wall on the map so nobody plans a way out through it.
  3. Keep the walkout door clear outside tooOSHA says no materials or equipment may be placed in an exit route, even temporarily (OSHA 1910.37). Outside the walkout door, a parked boat trailer or a stack of deliveries can block the way just as boxes would inside.
  4. Show the stair at the same spot on both mapsMark the inside stair where it really sits on each level and say which way it leads, up to the street door or down to the lot, so a visitor on either level can find the other door.
  5. Count both levels at one meeting pointThe emergency action plan rule asks for a way to account for all employees after an evacuation (OSHA 1910.38). With people leaving at two heights, one meeting point that both levels can walk to lets one person count everyone.

Nashville, Memphis, Knoxville

Fire departments in Nashville, Memphis and Knoxville

All three cities are on the State Fire Marshal’s list of exempt jurisdictions, so the city handles plans review and inspections for many of its buildings. Start with the department that serves your address.

Fire departments in Tennessee’s three largest cities
CityEstimated residents, 2024Question worth askingOfficial site
Nashville704,963How to show the stairs in a downtown building with shops below and offices above.Nashville Fire Department
Memphis610,919What earthquake steps to add to the plan of a warehouse or shop near the river.Memphis Fire Department
Knoxville198,722Where to put the meeting point for a building with doors on two levels of a hill.Knoxville Fire Department

Population figures are U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2024 estimates (Census Bureau). Nashville’s is for the Nashville-Davidson balance; the whole consolidated government is about 729,500. Chattanooga, at about 191,000, is fourth. The Nashville/Davidson County exemption leaves out Belle Meade, Berry Hill, Forest Hills, Oak Hill and Ridgetop (State Fire Marshal’s Office).

Questions

Tennessee fire escape plan FAQ

Can I make a Tennessee fire escape plan for free?

Yes. On a hillside building, upload each level on its own (plan, photo or sketch) and preview a watermarked draft without an account. Signing up is free with no credit card and adds 5 free floor-plan uploads per month, with up to 5 regenerations per upload and the editor. Each export carries a draft mark until the posting review is complete.

Does TOSHA cover private businesses in Tennessee?

Yes, with some exceptions. OSHA says the Tennessee State Plan applies to private-sector workplaces in the state, apart from the exceptions it lists, and TOSHA also covers state and local government workers.

Which fire code does Tennessee use?

The State Fire Marshal’s Office lists the 2021 International Fire Code, with amendments, among its currently adopted codes, under rules effective April 17, 2025. Knoxville, Memphis and Nashville are exempt jurisdictions that handle plans review and inspections for many buildings themselves, so ask your local fire marshal about your building.

How do I map a building with doors on two levels?

Upload each level separately and mark its own outside door, whether it opens to the street or to a lower lot. Label the stair on both maps, show the steps or path between the two grades outside, and choose one meeting point both levels can reach.

Should a plan in Memphis cover earthquakes?

It helps in West Tennessee, near the New Madrid zone. Ready.gov says to drop, cover and hold on if you are inside, stay away from doorways and not run outside. After the shaking stops, look over each route before using it.

Where should the meeting point be for a hillside building?

Somewhere people on both levels can reach on foot, such as a lot at the bottom of outside steps or a sidewalk across the street, out in the open and away from the building, trees and power lines.

Sources

Illustrations on this page use fictional layouts made for this page. They are not customer plans or live generator results.

Ready? Upload a Tennessee floor plan, one level at a time, and see the free draft.

Draft my Tennessee plan