Fire Safety Plan for Children
5/3/2019 (Permalink)
Do you have an emergency escape plan in place in the event of a home fire? Are you children aware of the plan and their role in getting out safely? Far too many parents neglect to make a fire escape plan altogether, no less making a plan and then communicating said plan with their children. The possibility of a fire seems so rare that most adults never even consider it as a possibility. While smoke alarms are useful, you are asking for trouble if they are the only active part of your fire escape plan.
Your children have likely engaged in countless fire drills in school. They are used to practicing in the event of an emergency and the home should be no different. A family fire drill should be discussed amongst adults and then practiced amongst the entire family. The following is a great basis to build your specific plan upon:
- Make an escape plan based on your home’s particular layout, be sure to identify two ways out of each room in the house
- Have each family member practice escaping the rooms by crawling on the perimeter of the room towards an exit
- Practice this routine multiple times a year, switching which of the two exits that they children leave from
- Ensure that each parent knows which children they are to oversee in the event of a fire
Children 5 years and older need to be made aware of this plan. The more you practice as a family, the smoother your escape plan will be in the event of an actual emergency. At SERVPRO of North Palm Beach County, our fire damage restoration specialists are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Contact our team today to learn more!