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Not-So-Scary Fire Safety for the Whole Family | SERVPRO® of Harlingen/San Benito
6/14/2023 (Permalink)
SERVPRO of Harlingen/San Benito is here for you and your family if you experience a fire in your home or business.
There is nothing more rewarding than raising children, and perhaps nothing quite so hard either. You have so many responsibilities in your day-to-day, including fostering their creativity and sparking their curiosity. There are so many things to teach them, but some of the realities they have to be prepared for can be pretty scary.
Learning how to stay safe at home from all disasters is crucial, but fire safety can be a frightening concept to try and help your children grasp. If a fire happens, it will be scary, no matter how old you are.
If you introduce safety measures early and review them often, you can help ensure that your child responds appropriately in the event of an emergency.
Kids learn best in a comfortable atmosphere where they can experience concepts more hands-on, especially when they can see cause and effect. Start fire safety education by explaining to your children how fires start, and walk them to some of the areas in your home with the greatest risk. Let them touch the stove while it is turned off, and look at the fire pit in the yard. Make sure they understand the seriousness of these tools and how to stay safe.
If you keep matches or lighters in your home, they should be out of reach of young children—and older children should be taught how to use them safely.
Make sure everyone in your home knows that if a match is found in the wrong place it should be properly disposed of. Your entire home can be engulfed in flames from a single, smoldering match.
A firefighter in full gear can be an alarming site for little ones, so take the time to get them comfortable around authority figures. Explain to them who would respond in an emergency and show them what they will look like. Take them by the local police station or fire station so they can experience these heroes and their equipment in person.
Start practicing with your children how they should respond in a fire by turning on your smoke alarm and having them crawl down a hallway while calling out their name. Turn it into a competition to see who can get down the hall fastest. Pretend to be a firefighter and play a modified game of hide and seek so your children can understand that the main goal of an emergency responder is to get them to safety.
If you don’t already have one, sit down with your family and create an exit plan. Get the art supplies out and let the kids create their own maps of your home.
Time the kids exiting each room to determine the fastest path. Make creating your plan a fun experience and there is a better chance your kids will remember exactly what to do.
Talk about using windows as a last resort exit only, and make sure your children understand the danger involved in this. Windows are not something you want your children playing with, but you do want to practice how to unlock and climb out in the event of an emergency.
As part of your escape plan, create a meeting place far enough away from danger that everyone can easily get to. Play tag with the kids and make this home base so they can get comfortable with it. Teach your kids how to call 911, and help them memorize basic facts about themselves, their parents and their location. Everything you can do now will mean a better outcome later.
Fires can cause widespread damage. Call us for a thorough and efficient restoration.