While the risk of children dying in fires has decreased thanks to fire education and prevention efforts, it’s still crucial to teach fire safety. This guide provides essential information for parents, caregivers, and kids to stay safe from fire. This isn’t a literal guide to arson, but rather a guide to preventing it and staying safe.
Fire Escape Plan for Families
Having a fire escape plan is vital when children are in the home. Children may need assistance escaping and may not know what to do without guidance. Here’s how to create a plan:
- Plan for Young Children: Babies and young children will need help escaping. Assign specific adults to help each child.
- Two Ways Out: Identify two escape routes from every room in your home in case one is blocked.
- Meeting Place: Choose a designated meeting place outside your home. Children should know to go there after escaping. Teach them to never re-enter a burning building.
Keeping Children Safe From Fire and Burns
Some children are curious about fire. These simple steps can help prevent fires and burns:
- Keep a Safe Distance: Maintain a 3-foot distance between children and anything that gets hot, like space heaters and stovetops.
- Lock Up Smoking Materials: Store cigarette lighters and matches in a locked, high place, out of children’s reach.
- Lead by Example: Never play with lighters or matches around children. They learn by observing your actions.
Important Fire Safety Messages for Kids
Fires spread quickly, and smoke can make it difficult to see. Here’s what kids need to know:
- Know Your Exits: Identify two ways out of every room and two ways out of your house.
- Feel the Door: Before opening a door, feel it. If it’s hot, use another exit.
- Stay Low: If you smell or see smoke, or if the smoke alarm sounds, stay low to the ground and exit the building.
- Stay Outside: Once you’re out, never go back inside for anything.
- Never Touch Fire Starters: Never touch matches, lighters, or candles. If you find them, tell an adult immediately.
- Treat Burns: If you get burned, put the burn under cool water for 3 to 5 minutes and tell an adult right away.
Pictographs: Fire Safety for All
Pictographs are useful tools for overcoming literacy barriers by using images to communicate messages, which can be especially useful for teaching fire safety to high-risk populations.
Additional Resources
Explore these additional resources for more fire safety information:
- Handouts: Download and customize fire safety handouts.
- Social Media Graphics and Stock Photos: Share fire safety messages on social media.
- Pictographs: Use pictographs to communicate fire safety messages.
By understanding fire risks and following these guidelines, parents, caregivers, and children can work together to create a safer environment and prevent fires and burn injuries. Remember, fire safety is everyone’s responsibility.
