Teaching Fire Safety to Your Children | SERVPRO® of Pewaukee & Sussex

6/14/2023 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of Pewaukee & Sussex is here for you and your family if you experience a fire in your home or business.

Having small children in your home is such a blessing, but it is hard work! Helping them grow and find independence while also keeping them safe feels like a full-time job at times. While it is your job to foster curiosity in your children, it is also important to teach them about the things that are a danger to them, like fire.

Fire safety is an important topic no matter how old you are. Knowing what to do and where to go if a fire breaks out in your home is crucial whether you are 5 or 55.

Introducing fire-safe concepts in an encouraging and light-hearted environment can help prepare your children for the possibility while also preventing unnecessary fear or anxieties.

Explaining the Concept of Fire

Children often learn through experiences or by witnessing cause and effect, which can make it harder to explain fire to a child. You certainly don’t want to just start lighting things on fire in your home! However, you can start by walking through your house to discuss each place that fire can start, like your stove, bonfire pit, grills and even candles.

Discuss how fire can spread and what can catch on fire, and show them the matches and lighters that you use. Your children should know what these are and what they are for to avoid an accident. Without this knowledge, a child might pick up a match and play with it out of curiosity, which can lead to a disastrous situation.

Trusting Firefighters and Authority

Seeing anyone in uniform can be overwhelming for little kids, but especially firefighters and police officers. All the gear and safety equipment can make even the friendliest people look intimidating! You want to ensure your children will trust and respond to a firefighter in an emergency situation, so try to expose your kids to your local fire crew as often as possible.

Attend local meet-and-greet events, take a tour of the firehouse or even just show your kids pictures or books of firefighters in uniform. You should also practice calling out for help with your kids. Have them go to their rooms and hold a contest to see how loud they can shout their names while army crawling through the house.

Planning the Escape Route

Your family should have an emergency exit plan that is easy to access and understood by everyone. If you don’t, now is the time to create one!

Let your kids lead the way, have them find the fastest way out of every room and have them point to all exit points on each level of your home. Take this information and put it into a diagram of your house.

Don’t forget to include your windows in your escape routes! While teaching your children how to open your windows may seem reckless, it is crucial information to have during a true emergency. Show them how they work, but ensure they also know that they are not toys and should never be played with.

Finally, choose an outdoor meeting location like your mailbox or a neighbor’s driveway. Put it all together and do a full run-through of your plan at least twice a year, and ensure that your children know how to call 911 once you are safely outside.

Fires can cause widespread damage. Call us for a thorough and efficient restoration.