How can you teach your children fire safety at home? It is important to stress home fire safety to children. It is extremely important that everyone in your household knows and uses fire safety tips. Even...
It is extremely important that everyone in your household knows and uses fire safety tips. Even children can be taught simple steps that can prevent accidents and help them escape from a dangerous situation. Many schools, scout groups, and fire departments offer safety information for children to help them be prepared for an emergency and to reduce the risks of starting an accidental fire.
Heather Caldwell is the communications manager for Kidde, one of the largest manufacturing companies of fire safety products. Caldwell suggests, "Involve the entire family in creating your fire safety plan. Make them an active part of the process. If parents get their kids involved, many parents will find the kids being really involved." By forming a family team that works on a fire safety plan together it will form a family bond and will encourage everyone to be aware of potential dangers. The children may be the ones who remember that the batteries should be changed in the smoke detector or remind a parent to place lighters or matches in a safe location away from little hands.
Sparky the Firedog is a symbol often used by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). Sparky is featured in many films, coloring books, and promotional items that are often distributed to children to assist with helping them learn and remember fire safety tips. The NFPA highlights five things all children should learn and remember about fire safety in their homes.
1. Floor Plan
2. Know Two Ways Out
3. Smoke Alarm
4. Meeting Place
5. Practice
It is important that children are familiar with the floor plan of their home. They need to know where the windows and doors are located, as well as where the rooms are located such as the kitchen and bedrooms. When planning a fire drill at home you may want to practice at night or with a blindfold so the child can more easily find a way out with his or her vision impaired. If a fire breaks out during the night or smoke is present there may be obstacles the child must overcome in order to escape safely. By practicing, it may make this task easier and help the child remain calm during an escape.
Make sure that you discuss exit plans with your child for every room of your home since you never know where he or she may be in the event of an actual fire. Many fires do start in kitchens or bedrooms, but could begin anywhere in the home. Every room should have at least one doorway that would be the primary exit choice, but if that door is blocked for some reason other options need to be available as well. Teach your child how to open a window if he or she would need to climb out of it. If the window is not on the ground floor you may want to invest in a rope ladder that can be hung from the edge of the window so that a person may climb down it to safety. To practice use of a rope ladder, it is recommended that the adult demonstrate how to use it and then monitor the child as he or she attempts to use it next. If there are individuals that need assistance or have an impairment of some type, make plans for someone to help this person and incorporate those procedures into your plan ahead of time.
Smoke alarms should be used in several areas of your home and tested monthly. Smoke alarms that are over ten years old should be replaced. Batteries in smoke detectors should be replaced every six months. It is important to have smoke detectors positioned on each floor of your home. The primary areas that smoke detectors should be placed are near the kitchen and bedrooms as most fires begin in these rooms.
A central meeting place should be established by the family and incorporated into your fire escape plan. The meeting area should be near a permanent fixture such as a mailbox, neighbor's driveway, telephone pole, or other object that will not be moved. Meeting places should not be near garbage cans, vehicles, seasonal furniture, or other items that may be moved at various times and may create confusion. Make sure your meeting place will not be in the way of emergency crews responding to the fire. Once outside be sure that someone is designated to alert 911 or other rescue teams as to the location and nature of the emergency. Do not try to put the fire out yourself and never go back into a dwelling that is on fire once you have escaped.
Practice is important to make sure that everyone knows what he or she should do in the event of an actual emergency. It is a good idea to have practice drills at least twice a year so that everyone is familiar with what he or she needs to do to get out safely.
Explain to your child what potential fire hazards exist in your home and ways to reduce the risk of a fire being started. Key emphasis should be placed on children not playing with matches, lighters, stoves, heaters, or other flammable materials. If a fire does start, it is important for a child to notify an adult immediately and not try to hide or handle the fire on his or her own. Time is critical in dealing with any fire, so response time needs to be prompt. If children are aware of what can happen and how they can respond quickly this will enable them to make wise decisions in a timely manner. Prevention is the best medicine though. Preventing a fire from starting is much easier than putting it out, cleaning up the resulting mess, and treating any resulting injuries.
Many fire departments offer training to students and scouts by way of class visits or onsite field trips to the station. They often use videos, handouts and discussions to teach the importance of fire safety and to give advice on how kids should handle an emergency situation. Children should view firefighters and rescue workers as helpers, not strangers to be afraid of. Despite a fireman's gear that may make him appear to look like some sort of monster, there really is a nice person underneath that bulky outfit. Above all you need to stress to your child that staying calm and following the escape plan is the best way to avoid a dangerous situation.
