Fire Safety and Kids: The Basics | SERVPRO® of East Brownsville & South Padre Island

6/14/2023 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of East Brownsville & South Padre Island is here for you and your family if you experience a fire in your home or business.

When you have kids, the work never really ends. Fortunately, watching them grow and learn while they curiously and creatively take on the world can be so full of joy!

While you help your kids safely navigate childhood, there are a few things you will need to teach them that might be less than pleasant subject matter.

Fire safety is a crucial life skill that even the youngest of children need to learn. Fear will always be a factor when it comes to disaster, regardless of age, but the better prepared we all are, the better the outcomes will be.

You can introduce concepts about fire-safety to your children in fun and comfortable ways that will ensure your family stays safe.

Explain the Dangers of Fire

To help your kids really absorb the importance of fire safety, give them some background and hands-on experiences with cause and effect. Talk about how a fire can start, and walk them through areas of your home with fire risks.

In the kitchen, talk about how hot a stove can get and that it should never be left unattended. Take them to the fire pit in the backyard if you have one, and discuss how quickly a spark can turn into a backyard fire.

If you have matches or lighters in your home, store them safely so that your kids do not have access to them. Make sure older children are supervised any time they are allowed to use them, and let all your kids know if they find matches they should bring them to you immediately.

Your entire home can be consumed by flames that started from a single match, so it is crucial your children understand these are not toys.

Familiarize Them With Authority

When an emergency happens, it is important that kids know who to turn to in the event that their parents aren’t by their side. Familiarize them with police officers and firefighters, and make sure they know what they look like with their gear on. Take them to the local station to see the trucks up close and introduce them to local authorities.

Make sure they know who and how these helpers will respond if an emergency happens, and practice some safety scenarios with the kids. Turn your smoke alarms on so the kids can hear them, and then see who can army crawl down a hallway the fastest. Make sure they know how to call out their name and location if they need to be rescued.

Make a Game Plan Together

Create an emergency exit plan with your family and map out the best ways to safely get out during an emergency event. Let the kids get creative and create their own maps, and then practice their escape routes to see which one is the fastest.

While you practice safely getting out of the house, make sure you kids understand that windows should only be a last resort exit. Make sure they know how to use them, but that they also understand they are not a toy.

Once you know how to safely get out, create a meeting place outside of your home far enough away to wait until everything is safe. Make this a spot your kids are familiar with so they will not forget where to go during an event. Even young children should know how to dial 911 and give basic information, so help your kids memorize some facts and teach them how to use your cell phone.

Fires can cause widespread damage. Call us for a thorough and efficient restoration.