Five Simple Things: Fire Safety week 4 - Safety Education series

Welcome to this week's safety class!

Sept. 25, 2014

Safety Education

Fire Safety

It's time to practice our fire escape plan.

You can use your "class time" today to review or use it to practice your plan. If you have a stop watch, (a timer on your cell phone works too!) you can record the time it takes everyone to reach the meeting place. Then you'll have an incentive to do better the next time you practice.

Our family will be reviewing today, with a "warning" to the kids that at an unexpected time the fire alarm will sound and they'll be expected to put our plan into action.

In our house, a designated someone will sound the alarm by using a broom handle to push the smoke detector test button. When our alarm sounds, we will also yell where the "fire" is in the house...such as, "fire, fire in the hallway," or "fire, fire in the kitchen, get out!"

Depending on the age of your children, you could also use chairs or boxes to show which exits are blocked because of fire. Such as a chair outside a bedroom door, or in front of your back door, so the children know they need to use an alternative exit.

If this is your first time practicing your escape plan, take it easy and just try to run through it to get everyone to the meeting place. If total chaos breaks out during the drill you'll definitely have something to talk about at the dinner table tonight!

Remember, this is a learning experience for ALL involved. As we practice these drills again and again, we will improve and perfect our plans. Communication is key! Talk about it, let all involved make suggestions for improvement during the next drill.