Did you know that October is fire safety month? Well now you do! Fires can be very scary. I know this first hand because, years ago, the room that my 2 younger sisters shared caught on fire. Luckily no one was at home at the time, but our home sustained some significant damage and we were quite shaken up. Later on we learned the cause of the fire was a faulty wire. We were lucky that we were not at home when the fire broke out because we didn't really have a fire evacuation plan. I shudder to think what may have happened if we were home at the time. So with that said, I want to offer some fire safety tips that you can use.
If you have a family, it is important that you learn about fire safety for kids. As a parent, this is your duty. You need to learn all about it so that you can teach your children how to be safe if your home is ever on fire. Remember that a fire makes the home a very chaotic and confusing place to be. You may imagine yourself finding all of your children and leading them to safety. In practicality, though, you will not have the time or the ability to do this. You will be much better off if you teach them what to do so that you do not have to worry.
The first thing that you need to have is a fire evacuation plan. You should practice moving along this route with your children so that they understand how to do it. You may want to practice in the dark to simulate the feeling of being in a smoke-filled home. You should talk to them about the different exits and the fastest ways to reach them from the bedrooms, the bathroom, and the living room.
Next, you need to tell them how to know what doors and areas to avoid. You do not want them to blindly follow the evacuation plan even if it leads to the fire. You must realize that fire safety for kids is all about teaching them how to react correctly, not about having them memorize what to do in each different scenario. You can start by talking about how throwing water on a door can help them know if the fire is behind it. If water is not available, you can teach them how to touch the back of the door instead of the metal handle so that they can decide if it is safe to open the door and enter the next room. Furthermore, you should talk to them about rolling on the ground if their clothes catch on fire. Make sure that you mention that crawling is wise, even when they feel the need to hurry, since it will keep them from breathing in the smoke.
Along with the fire evacuation plan, you need to tell them what to do once they get outside. You need to have a meeting place. If you do not, you may think someone is still inside when they have really gone out another door and into the alley on the other side of the home. This could lead you to go back in, putting yourself in unnecessary danger. Have the children all tell you where the meeting place is so that you can be sure that they understand and remember where they are supposed to go.
This video offers some great fire safety tips for kids and demonstrates how to “stop, drop & roll”:
Fire Safety For Children: The Friendly Fireman
So tell me, do you have a fire evacuation plan? What fire safety tips have you taught your kids?