10 Fire Safety Tips for Kids

3/5/2021 (Permalink)

It is important to communicate the dangers and safety of fire to children. These ten tips will help prevent fires in your home and help with staying calm and safe in case of an emergency.

1. Be sure to keep matches and lighters in areas where children cannot reach. It is best to keep them in high or locked cabinets. Teach kids to bring any matches and lighters they may find to an adult to be put away safely.
2. Check Your House for Smoke Detectors. There should be a smoke detector on every floor of your home. Check to make sure that the batteries are working and do not need to be replaced. Most fire departments recommend changing batteries twice a year.
3. Check Your House for Fire Hazards. Electrical cords and fireplaces should be checked regularly to make sure they are working properly. For smoking adults, disposing of ashes in a metal container can help to prevent a fire.
4. Make a family fire safety plan in case the fire alarm goes off when you least expect it. The alarm could go off in the middle of the night and you need to evacuate quickly. Talk to all family members about how to exit the house safely and a safe outside location to meet. A safe outside location can be a neighbor’s house, a big tree away from the house, or across the street.
5. Practice your fire safety plan with your family. Practicing your plan will help to ensure that everyone knows what they are doing. Checks windows and screens to make sure they open when necessary.
6. Remember to go over the importance of getting outside as soon as possible. Fire can be scary, but it is important to never hide during a fire. Get outside as quickly as you can and wait at an assigned meet location.
7. Fall to the ground and crawl your way out. The ground is where there is less smoke in the air and you can crawl your way to safety.
8. Stop. Drop, and Roll if your clothes are on fire. Continue to roll until it out. Do Not Run as it can make the fire spread faster.
9. Never go back into a burning building! Your family created a fire safety plan and should stick with it. Once you arrive at your designated meeting location, wait there until your family arrives.
10. Know your emergency phone numbers. Call 9-1-1 in the event of an emergency. Also, teach children a nearby contact number who could respond quickly in case of an emergency.