October is Fire Prevention/ Fire Safety Month

There are times in our life when we experience a loss so great that even 30 years later it has an effect on you. When I was just a kid my family suffered a huge loss of two very precious lives due to a house fire. My grandma and little cousin’s lives were cut short. This loss paired with BOTH my parents being volunteer fire fighters for our small town meant fire safety was always being talked about. As a young kid I would go with my parents to fire meetings, and I even proudly wore a Junior fire fighter badge. My older brother was always there as well, and while I never traded in my pretend plastic badge for the real deal he did. My brother is now a professional fire fighter in two districts AND is a volunteer with the same fire department my parents were in.

Fire safety is important to our family. I hope that I can help you to see both the importance of teaching our children fire safety, and give you some things to remember when you are teaching your children. This is not a fun topic to talk about. It is hard as a parent to know how much to tell our children. It is tough because we want to shelter them from scary things, and besides what are the chances we will actually need to know these things… A house fire can happen to the most cautious of families. It can happen no matter how careful we are. And I have to be honest, I do feel a little guilt when I talk to my kids about fires and what to do. My job is a mom is to protect them from scary things…. but my job as a mom to protect their safety and well-being will always win here. We will have the scary talks. We will talk about my grandmother and my cousin. Because fire is real, and I would rather prepare my kids for the worst than to hope for the best.

Fire Drill

My family regularly does fire drills. Sometimes it is planned and I will review our escape plan and ensure they remember what to do and where to go. There are times I am cooking and the sensitive smoke detectors aren’t aware that I am just cooking and they will send our family outside. We have taught our kids to always go out. ALWAYS. We have ran outside with no shoes in the winter, we have gone outside in underwear, we have gone out in the rain, we have gone out in the middle of the night, we have gone out when we didn’t feel well. Rarely are our drills convenient. I am rushing around our kitchen trying to get dinner done and the kids are helping set the table…. it never matters. We NEVER ignore an alarm. It’s just what we do.

When my son had just turned 3 years old we were able to take part in a fire safety class for kids. A fire department had a mobile “smoke house”. A mock house that has smoke detectors and they bring all the kids in and “smoke” the house and the detectors go off… while the detectors are going off the fire fighter is instructing the children on what to do. My son bounded out of that building so fast he was pushing everyone out of his way. He knew what to do if the smoke detector went off. Sure, there were some chuckles… but most of all there was relief that he knew without question what to do.

Make sure your kids are aware that they will need two exits from any room. Knowing that going out a window is not just allowed, but encouraged if needed is important for young kids.

Teach them that damage to the house doesn’t matter. My kids have bounded out our back door without opening the door blinds, because getting out of the house is first priority. We have dashed out without turning off our security system, without opening the blinds… none of that matters and they know it. My kids also know that if they need to go out their bedroom window they are supposed to push the screen out… that screen they aren’t supposed to touch in other instances.

Ensure your kids know their meeting place. My kids understand that first and foremost we need to know they are out of the house and ok. Setting a meeting place that is far enough away from the house that they would be safe, but close enough that we can see that they are out and ok.

You CAN’T hide. Let your young children know that fire is not safe and hiding will NOT  protect them.

Don’t take the time to get toys. My daughter has named off the baby dolls she would “save” in a fire… while it is sweet and cute I have had to drill into her that baby dolls are NOT to be saved that only people matter in a house fire.

Don’t go back in. My daughter hates our fire drills that happen at night (we all do). She has tried to go back into the house because it is a safe place. This has been a teaching moment… a house that is on fire is never a safe house.

Make sure kids know that smoke rises, so the safest place is low to the floor. Crawling means less smoke which means more chance of getting out safely.

We have taught our kids that if they can’t go out the door to their room they must go out the window. If they need to go out the window they need to close their bedroom door first. Closing a door can give you 2 more minutes, especially if you place something at the bottom of the door. These precious few minutes of clear air can give them more time to open a window and get out.

Keep exits clear. The flight attendant in me will never let this one die. Make sure your emergency exits are clear. Don’t block windows or doors that can be needed for exiting in the event of a fire.

Smoke Detectors

October is a great time to check your smoke detectors. I really like the smoke detectors in my home. They are all connected in that if one goes off they will all go off. This especially important if you have a larger home or a multi-level home. A fire starting in the basement will go up and you need to know to get out.

Smoke detectors should be checked weekly. Batteries should be replaced twice a year (doing this when the time changes is a great reminder). And smoke detectors should be replaced every 10 years. If you aren’t sure how old yours are I recommend you change them. (Ours are changed more frequently, but it probably isn’t necessary.)

Fire Extinguisher

Know how to work a fire extinguisher. Familiarize yourself with your fire extinguisher and look it over on occasion to make sure it is still charged and you still know how to use it. You will use the PASS method to use it.

• Pull the pin.
• Aim the hose to the base (bottom) of the fire.
• Squeeze the trigger.
• Sweep the fire extinguisher from side to side at the base of the fire.

Nearly half of all fires start with cooking. Make sure you have a fire extinguisher in your kitchen.  Only place pots and pans on the stove. A stovetop is NOT a safe place to put your potholder, kitchen towel, or a cookbook.

Fire House Visits

Several times we have gone to fire houses to visit the fire fighters. They seem to enjoy teaching children about fire safety. Call your local fire station to schedule a trip for your kids. I have been many times as a mom and feel like we learn something new each time we go.

I hope I have convinced you to talk with your kids about fire safety and to have a fire drill with your family.

What are some ways your family practices fire safety?