How to Develop a Fire Safety Plan for Kids
A fire safety plan teaches your kids how to respond if there is a fire in your home. Children who know how to react when a fire breaks out have a better chance of getting out safely. Even kids as young as 3 years old can follow a fire safety plan as long as they get plenty of practice, points out the U.S. Fire Administration. Being prepared for a fire emergency is key to preventing injury and death.
Instructions
Talk to your kids about what to do in case there̵7;s a fire. Keep your instructions simple so that they are easier to remember. Tell your children to remain calm if they hear the smoke detectors go off. Avoid scaring them, but tell them to get outside immediately if a smoke alarm sounds. Remind a very young child not to run or hide. Explain that firefighters are his friends who are there to help him get out of the house safely, suggests HealthyChildren.org. Visiting a local fire station gives your child the opportunity to see a fireman in full uniform with all the gear so he feels less afraid. Draw a diagram of your fire escape plan. Include a sketch of each room in the house on the fire escape diagram. Show two escape routes from each room. Escape routes can be windows or doors. Hang more than one copy of the plan throughout your house. Warn your kids not to open a door if they see fire or smoke. If there̵7;s smoke at both escape routes, instruct them to use the exit where there is the least smoke and heat, recommends the National Fire Protection Association. Make certain that none of the escape routes you mark on the escape plan are blocked. Practice with your kids how to get out of the home. Show them how to crawl on their hands and knees and feel their way to safety. Explain that they need to stay under the smoke. Make sure your children know how to exit from each room in the house so they know what to do in an emergency situation. The more you practice, the more confident they will become in their ability to reach safety. Teach your kids how to unlock and open windows. They should also know how to unlock and open doors in the event of an emergency. If you have a fire escape ladder, show your children how to use it from a first-story window. Discuss where your family will meet once everyone is outside the home and then mark that meeting place on the escape plan. Whether you choose a neighbor̵7;s home, a corner street sign or other location, it should be a safe distance away from the fire. Tell your kids to stay outside once they are out and not go back inside for any reason. Hold fire drills at least twice a year so that everyone in the family knows how to exit the home. Practice one of the drills at night but let your children know what you plan to do in advance. You don̵7;t want them to wake up frightened and thinking it̵7;s a real fire.
