As I stated in my previous blog, a fire plan for your family is important. It is imperative. This blog will outline a way for you to create and maintain a fire escape plan that everyone will understand. I am writing this assuming that you don’t already have one. Even if you do, this information can help give you some great tips to add to yours.
A great place to begin is by asking your children what they would do if there was a fire in the house. Let them show and tell you without interrupting them. After that, you have a good starting point. You know what they would have done, and can now correct them on any errors they made and explain why this way is better.
As the most dangerous fires happen when we are asleep, begin by having your kids pretend they are asleep in their beds. Explain before hand that you are going to make the smoke alarms sound, and that means that there is a fire, however, this is only practice. There is no real fire. Hit the test button, and they should “wake up” and get as low to the floor as they can. If they have a cloth of some sort readily available, they can use that to cover their mouths to breathe through. Now they need to feel their door with the back of their hand to see if it’s hot. Pretend it’s not, and have them come out of their room, still low to the ground. Let them know that smoke rises, and that’s why they need to stay close to the floor.
Have them come down the stairs (if needed) and get outside. Create an outdoor meeting point so everyone knows where to go.
Obviously, fires are extremely unpredictable, so you will need to practice a variety of ways to escape. For example, if the door is hot, especially the handle, don’t go. You will need to find an alternative escape, such as the window. For second floors, this is where a rope ladder would come in handy.
Here are some points you need to let your children know every time you practice:
1. The single most important thing during a fire is to get outside, and fast.
2. It will be all right, stay calm, and don’t worry about anyone else. Just get out.
3. If they get out first, run to a trusted neighbor’s house and bang as hard as they can on the door while screaming, “fire!”. The neighbor should know to call emergency immediately.
Practice your variety of escape routes periodically, making it as real as possible. Role play along with your children. Get down on the floor with them, and practice with them. Do this as often as you can, such as once a week, biweekly, or at least once a month. You and your family will feel safer in general, and will have an easier time getting out should a fire occur.
Stay safe!