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Introducing Fire Safety to Your Kids | SERVPRO of Buffalo/Tonawanda
6/14/2023 (Permalink)
SERVPRO of Buffalo/Tonawanda is here for you and your family if you experience a fire in your home or business.
If you have children, you know just how much work it is to raise them right and teach them about the world around them. You also know just how many questions a little kid can ask in a day! Your kids are learning new things and concepts every day, and it is your responsibility to help keep them safe and informed as they grow.
One crucially important topic to discuss with your kids is fire safety. House fires are not only destructive, but they can be dangerous to everyone in your household.
By introducing fire safety in a fun and non-threatening manner, you can increase the likelihood of your children responding quickly and correctly in the event of a real emergency.
Many kids learn through experience, and it can be hard for them to understand cause and effect until it is actually happening. This is especially true with fire! Discuss with them how different fires can start and how they spread, and take a walk through your home together and find the places that produce fire, like bonfire pits, your stove and the candles around the house, and discuss fire safety at each place.
It is also important for your children to understand the dangers of matches and lighters in the wrong hands. Explain that these items are tools for adults to use and are never toys. A curious child and a lighter can lead to devastating consequences.
Many kids want to become police officers or firefighters when they grow up, but can be easily intimidated by these men and women in uniform. Try to expose your children to authority figures by reading books about them and consider attending local community events where they are present. Meet-and-greets can help reinforce the concept of friendly heroes and what these people would look like if they were to come to their home.
Explain to them what would happen in the event of a fire and how these people would show up to help everyone. In most cases, they would show up once everyone is outside, but in the small chance that your child is unable to get out on his or her own, needs to be comfortable with yelling for help. Make it fun by seeing who can yell their name the loudest in their rooms and practice army crawling through the house.
If you don’t already have an emergency exit plan, make it a priority to create one soon. Let your children lead this process, and make it fun! Challenge them to find all of the ways out of each room in your home and time them to see how fast they can get out. Then sit down and draw out the map together.
Your windows are often-overlooked exits because you normally don’t let your children play with them—for good reason. However, in a true emergency situation, your children need to know how to open them. Explain how they work, and reinforce the idea that the windows are never to be used as a toy and only for emergencies.
Lastly, practice running to your outdoor meeting place that is far enough away from your home. Put it all together and practice your entire plan at least twice a year, and be sure your children know how to call 911.
Fires can cause widespread damage. Call us for a thorough and efficient restoration.