At The Gardner School, we are a partner for parents and constantly looking for ways to provide you with support and ideas to help your family thrive. That’s why we’re reminding you of the importance of creating a family fire safety plan this fall. Making a safety plan can help everyone in the family feel better and more safe! It can provide reassurance and comfort for your child. Creating a plan in advance can help your child know that they don’t have to fear any event that might occur!
What Is A Fire Safety Plan?
A fire safety plan is a plan that your family makes in the rare event of an emergency. Having a fire safety plan can help equip you and your children to stay safe if a fire breaks out. Preparation is the best way to help your child feel safe and secure no matter what happens!
Creating The Plan
You can teach lifelong safety habits and empower your children at this young age with helpful fire safety messages and skills. Here are some steps to get you started:
- Exit is the way out. Help your child learn the exits for each room in your home. Explore your home to identify two ways out of every room.
- Make a map. Create a home fire escape map. This will help your child find the way out more quickly in case there’s a fire.
- A plan for everyone. Have a plan in place to help babies and very young children who cannot get outside by themselves. When formulating your family evacuation plan, designate one adult to help each specific child and make sure everyone is clear about the plan.
- Choose an outdoor meeting spot. This spot is where the entire family will meet after your family fire drill. Choose a meeting place that is easy for children to identify and travel to. Maybe it’s at the biggest tree in the yard, in your neighbor’s front yard, or near a lamppost on the sidewalk.
- Get outside and stay outside. When you are practicing your at-home fire drill, congratulate your child when they reach the safety spot! Remind children that once they get there, they should stay at the meeting place until a trusted adult says it’s safe to go back inside.
- Calling 911. Even very young children can be educated about 911. Let them know that there are helpful and kind adults at the number 9-1-1. You can make a simple keypad on a piece of construction paper.
Practice Is Critical
Similar to fire drills that are held in elementary school, you can practice a non-threatening fire drill at home and prepare your child for their kindergarten drills! First, familiarize your children with the sound of the smoke alarm and what to do if they hear one go off. Teach them that if they hear an alarm at home, they should leave the house and go outside to the designated family meeting spot.
Practice a simple fire drill with everyone in your family at least twice a year. This biannual repetition will help your child remember what to do in case of a fire. Practicing together as a family will make the exercise feel safe for your children and prepare them for future fire drills they’ll have at school.
Fire Safety Messages to Teach Children
- Get low and get out. Teach your child that if they hear a smoke alarm, they can crouch down like a kitty cat, monkey, or crab and go to the nearest exit.
- Stop, drop, and roll. Teach children how to stop, drop, and roll to keep their clothes and bodies safe from fire. You can even pair it with a fun song or a firefighter costume to help teach this important safety skill.
- Firefighters are here to help. Encourage toddlers not to hide from firefighters. Instead, let children know that firefighters are there to help them stay safe. The Gardner School often invites firefighters and other first responders to meet our students and teach them about the important jobs they have in the community!
There are plenty of additional resources out there that can help you teach your children about fire safety. The U.S. Fire Administration has even collaborated with Sesame Street to provide games, songs, and activities that parents with toddlers and preschoolers can use to teach fire safety.
Having a plan in place can make a big difference in case of an emergency, especially when every second counts. Creating a family fire safety plan that you practice with your children is potentially life-saving and empowers them to build lifelong safety habits.
Helping Keep Children Safe at School and at Home
The Gardner School works hard to support families to teach children safety skills that will last a lifetime. We provide children with foundational tools that will help keep them safe as they discover and explore their world. Schedule a tour to learn more about our approach or enroll your child today