Parents, are you looking for some fire safety basics to discuss and practice at home with your children? Look no further. Tell your children that they can be the Deputy Fire Marshals in your home when they understand all nine rules. They can even help you draw an escape plan, lead fire drills at home, and teach others the 9 Cool Rules.
1. Don't play with matches and lighters. If you see matches or a lighter where children can reach them, don't touch them--but go tell a grown-up right away.
2. Ask your parents to install smoke detectors on every floor of your home. Smoke detectors can save lives. Ask your parents to show you where each one is located.
3. Remind your parents to test your smoke detectors every month. Make sure everyone in the family is familiar with its piercing sound. Teach them that this sound means danger, and they must escape quickly.
4. When your parents change the time on your clocks for Daylight Savings, ask them to change your smoke alarm batteries. A smoke detector can only save lives if it has working batteries. Give it fresh batteries and your smoke detector will stay awake and watch for fire while you're sleeping.
5. In case of fire: Don't Hide, Go Outside. Fires are scary, but you should NEVER hide in closets or under beds when there is a fire. Firefighters may look scary when they're wearing their protective gear, but please don't hide from them. They are wearing special suits and masks as protection from flames and smoke--so they can save you.
6. To escape during a fire: Fall and Crawl. It is easier to breathe in a fire if you stay low while getting out. Use the back of your hand to test if a door is hot before you open it. If it is hot, try to use another way out.
7. If your clothes are on fire: Stop, Drop, & Roll until the fire is out. Shout for help, but don't run. Running makes fire burn faster.
8. Have an escape plan and practice it with your family. Find two ways out of every room, in case one way is blocked by fire or smoke. Practice escaping by both routes to be sure that windows are not stuck and screens can be taken out quickly.
Choose a meeting place outside, such as a big tree or the end of the driveway, so you will know that everyone has gotten out safely. NEVER go back into a burning building for any reason. If someone is missing, tell the firefighters. They have the clothing and the equipment to safely rescue people.
9. Know your local emergency number. Put the stickers and magnets with emergency numbers on your refrigerator and every telephone in the house. If there is a fire at your house, choose one family member to leave your meeting place and call the fire department from a neighbor's phone.
Make the effort to share these 9 Cool Fire Safety Rules with your family. You never know, doing so just might save a life. Special thanks to the For A Safer America Coalition for their suggestions.
Excellent tips Shannon...it's an added value by educating your policy-holders with common tips that are so infrequently thought about that often times lead to misgivings creating fires.
We complete a lot of work on fire damage claims around the holiday seasons. The Christmas holiday is traditionally celebrated with lights, candles, wreaths, and Christmas trees to decorate homes. We know what that means! Good luck!
All good advice and tips -- thanks for the post. All the best.
After the loss of 44 children in the preschool in Mexico yesterday- We need to be aware a child is never too young to know what to do in case of fire. Good post!