Fire affects Americans every day. According to the U.S. Fire Administration, approximately 20,000 injuries and 3,500 deaths are attributed to fires every year. fifteen to 20 percent of fire death victims are children. Educating children about fire safety is essential in preventing fires and helping children survive fires when they do occur.
Significance
Educating children about fire safety is especially important because children do not instinctively understand what they need to do during a fire. According to KidsHealth from Nemours, many children will try to hide from fires rather than immediately exiting the building. Children are not, however, always innocent victims of fire. According to the U.S. Fire Administration, children are responsible for setting more than 35,000 fires a year. Young children often possess a natural curiosity about fire while lacking an understanding of fire-related dangers.
Fire Prevention
To prevent accidental fires as well as deliberate fire setting, the U.S. Fire Administration advises that you teach your children that fire is not a toy. Explain the characteristics and dangers of fire. Demonstrate the measures that you yourself take to prevent accidental fires, such as keeping flammable items away from the stove and never cooking with loose-fitting sleeves. To prevent your children from experimenting on their own, keep matches and lighters in secured locations.
Escape Information
In addition to teaching children about fire prevention, fire safety education focuses on equipping children with the skills necessary to escape a fire. According to Safe Kids USA, when a fire alarm sounds, children need to immediately seek to exit the building, crawling low on the floor if there is any smoke present. If they are in a room with the door closed, they should touch the door to determine if it is hot. If the door is not hot, they should continue outside; a hot door means another exit should be found. If at any point the child's clothes catch fire, he should immediately stop, drop to the floor and roll back and forth rapidly in order to put out the fire. Once the children are out of the building they should remain outside, even if a pet or other possession was left behind.
Parents' Role
In addition to ensuring that your children understand the actions necessary to escape a fire, it's important to develop a home fire escape plan for your home and practice that plan with your children. As the Home Safety Council recommends, you and the children should learn and practice two ways to get out of every room. You also need to establish a meeting place outside of your home where everyone can congregate after exiting the house. KidsHealth from Nemours advises that you practice your fire escape plan with your children at least twice a year. Practicing the plan will help children react correctly if a fire ever does occur.
Schools and Online Resources
In addition to parental instruction about fire, children also receive fire safety education in school by performing regular fire drills and, in some cases, by participating in educational programs offered by groups such as local fire departments. The New York City Fire Department, for instance, provides fire safety demonstrations at schools and firehouses. In addition, there are also several online resources designed to educate children about fire safety, such as the U.S. Fire Administration's site for kids and the National Fire Protection Association's site for kids.
