No one likes to consider the possibility of a house fire, but planning for an emergency can make the difference in getting your family out safe and uninjured. In the confusion of a fire, it can be difficult to take care of yourself, let alone your children. Teaching your kids what to do in case of a fire can help ensure your family's safety in a dangerous situation.
Smoke Detectors
Let your children test your home's smoke detectors with you. This allows them to hear the sound they make, and you can explain to them what that sound means in an emergency. An unfamiliar noise can cause confusion in an emergency.
Checking Doors
Teach your children how to check doors for the presence of fire before opening them. Feeling the wood with the back of your hand can tell you the conditions on the other side. Only after verifying that the door is cool should your child attempt to touch the doorknob or open the door. If the door is hot, they should find another way out.
Two Exits
Every child's bedroom should have two exits, in the event that the door is unusable due to fire. Make sure your children know how to get out if they cannot use the door. If the bedroom is not on the ground floor, you should purchase an emergency fire ladder and teach your child how to use it. If your home has security bars over the windows, you should replace them with a system that includes an emergency release, to ensure that everyone can get out quickly and safely in the case of a fire.
Meeting Place
Teach everyone in your family where to go once they are outside of the home. Setting a meeting place ensures that everyone can be accounted for quickly, and can save rescuers the time and trouble of searching for someone who is not still in the home.
Stay Out
Make sure your children understand that they should never re-enter a burning building, under any circumstances. Once they are outside, they should stay at the meeting spot until everyone else arrives. The only people who should be heading into a burning house are firefighters.
Safety Techniques
Having your clothes catch on fire can be a terrifying experience, even for an adult. Teaching your children to stop, drop, and roll in this situation can prevent burns and quickly extinguish a clothing fire. You should also teach children to stay low in the presence of smoke, to prevent inhalation of toxic fumes.
Practice
You should hold regular fire safety drills, to ensure everyone in your family knows exactly what to do in the case of fire. It is also a good idea to teach your children to escape the home in the dark or with their eyes closed, as smoke can reduce visibility and cause confusion.
