Teaching Children About Fire Safety Tips | SERVPRO® of Cedar Mill/ Oak Hills
2/24/2020 (Permalink)
Though talking with children about fire safety may not be the most fun conversation, for the safety of your family, it is one of the most important that you can have.
While teaching children about the dangers of fire may seem like something that will scare them more than it will help, by taking an age-appropriate approach, you can better prepare them for a fire without giving them unnecessary fears.
Age-Appropriate Ways to Teach Fire Safety
Focus on Evacuation as the No. 1 Priority
If your kids do not know how to react to a fire alarm, their first priority if one sounds might be to hide or run to you—when really, their focus should be to get out of the house as quickly as possible. Teach children who are old enough to understand that evacuating through a safe, smoke-free exit is the No. 1 priority when the fire alarm sounds—and reassure them that you will meet at your designated spot to check that everyone is OK.
Make Your Chat About What They Can do, Not About Dangers
Sometimes, learning about fire safety can actually make children more afraid of fire than safety-conscious, which is why framing it right is important. Instead of focusing on how dangerous a house fire can be, focus on what children can do around the house to prevent fires. Explaining that they should never play with matches or electrical outlets is much less alarming than going into details about how much damage a fire can do.
Create a Fire Escape Plan as a Family
Allowing your children to get involved in your fire escape plan will not only help them feel safer and more in control when it comes to fire safety, but it will also help them remember the details of the plan in a much more concrete way. Making the drafting and practicing of your fire escape plan a family affair will make sure everyone is on the same page and fully aware of what to do should a fire start in any area of the house.
If your family has been impacted by a fire, you can count on us for restoration. Contact us 24/7 to begin the fire and smoke restoration process.