A guide to teaching young children to be safe with fires. Information on prevention, education, awareness and explanation.
Many of the common causes of child injuries and deaths can be prevented with proper education in regards to fire. From a very young age, parents should teach their children all of the following.
-Hot Items: Stoves, ranges, heaters, and a variety of other items can cause burns. Teach children not to touch any of these things, as well as anything that might be attached to it or sitting upon it. Pots of boiling water can still cause injuries, and heaters that have been knocked over can start fires.
-Matches/Lighters: Children should be taught that matches and lighters are for adults only. They should be told that matches and lighters are tools, and not toys; if they find matches or a lighter laying around, they should tell an adult where they are so that the adult can put them away. Childproof lighters should be used if possible, and should be used away from the view of children whenever they can.
-Stop, Drop, and Roll: It's easy to panic if your clothes catch on fire. Children should be taught that if there is a fire that catches on their clothes, they should stop where they are, drop to the ground, and cover their face and roll over back and forth to smother the flames. They should then use water to cool the burned area, and call for help.
-Smoke Alarms: Teach your children not to be afraid of the sound that smoke alarms make, and that if they hear the alarm they should immediately get out of the building. Make sure that the children know where the smoke alarms are, and have them around when you test the alarms each month so that they can easily recognize the sound.
-Hiding from Fire: When frightened, many young children have the first thought that they should hide until whatever has frightened them is gone. During a fire, many children try to hide in a closet or under a bed and die as a result. Teach your children that they can't hide from smoke and fire, and that if they see either they should make their way out of the house.
-Escape Plans: Teach your children the best ways to get out of the house in case of a fire, and let them help in making an escape plan. Your plan should have at least two different routes to take in case one is blocked, and should be practiced regularly with a family fire drill. Making a competition to beat old times will help young children to learn the routes quickly.
-Stay Out: Once out of a burning building, you should never go back inside. It can sometimes be hard for children to resist the urge to run back in to save a favorite toy or a family pet. Teach children to stay out of the house if there is a fire no matter what, until the fire has been taken care of completely and it's safe to go back in.
-Crawl to Safety: In trying to escape from a fire, it's easy to become lost or overcome by smoke. If the room is filled with smoke, children should get down on the floor and crawl to stay close to fresh air. You can use a sheet or blanket that the children have to crawl under in your fire drills to help them learn to do this.
Hopefully, all of the things that you teach your children in regards to fire safety will never have to be used. But if the worst-case scenario does happen, it's best to be prepared.
