Teaching Children About Fire

Fire prevention and safety are quite possibly the most important element of a young child's education. Our children learn about fire safety at school, but it is also necessary to reinforce that knowledge at home on a regular basis. Here is an overview of some of the key principles of fire safety.

The primary safety tip is to always use a smoke-detector. Contrary to popular belief, most people who die in fires actually die from smoke inhalation, not from fire itself. That is why it's important to have a smoke detector on over floor of your home and near every sleeping area. You want as much early warning as possible. But it is very very important to check every smoke detector at least once each month to double check that they are working properly. And even though the smoke detector may still currently work, make sure to put in new batteries at least once a year to avoid surprise outages.

Another important element of fire safety is having a safety plan. Your kids practice an escape procedure during their time at school, but it is a definite necessity to also prepare one for the home. The key motto is to "Be Prepared". Prepare a floor plan for your house, and choose at least 2 possible evacuation routes for each room. If one way is inaccessible, having two options will give you another way out. It is very important to select a meeting place outside of your home and at a safe distance, and to teach your kids not to leave the meeting place for any reason, and to never go back into the house.

A third critical aspect of fire safety is that children should never ever pay with fire. Matches and lighters are only for use by adults. Adults should do their best to keep them out of the reach of children. They should also avoid throwing things into the fireplace or touching lit candles.

Those are a small number of the most important fire safety principles that kids have to understand. But there are definitely others as well. Be sure to check with your local fire department for a comprehensive overview. In addition there are many other internet-based resources available.