How to teach your children about fire escape plans

Every family needs to have a fire escape plan.

Every family needs to have a fire escape plan. What will your family do if you have a fire? Where are your children supposed to go? If you do not make these decisions ahead of time, then the cost could be deadly. You will need to develop a fire escape plan and then teach your children what that plan is.

Instructions

1. Develop a fire escape plan. What do you want your children to do if your house catches on fire? Where should they go? Make these decisions ahead of time so you will have a fire escape plan in place to teach your children.

2. Write down your fire escape plan. Writing down your fire escape plan defines what your family's fire escape plan is. Visitors and babysitters will have access to the plan. As your children learn to read, they will be able to read over the fire escape plan as well.

3. Set aside time to teach your children the fire escape plan. Hold a family meeting in which all family members who live in your house are available.

4. Tell your children what you expect them to do. Define what they should do step-by-step. They should first touch the door to see if it is hot. If the door is hot, they should stand by the window and wave a shirt. If the door is not hot, they should walk outside through the nearest door and go to a predefined location, such as the mailbox or a neighbor's house.

5. Tell your children what not to do. Your children should not deviate from the fire plan. They may not run, collect pets, pick up toys or go looking for their parents or siblings.

6. Activate the smoke detector. Let your children hear what a smoke detector sounds like. Tell your children to follow the fire escape plan whenever they hear the smoke detector.

7. Walk your children through the fire escape plan. Work individually with each child. Show him what to do. Then, follow along as he shows you what to do. When your child seems to have mastered the fire escape plan, have him teach his fire escape plan to a sibling or friend.

8. Hold periodic fire drills. Every few months, hold a fire drill. If your children forget what they are supposed to do, show them the fire escape plan again and verbally repeat the plan. Then, walk them through the fire escape plan until they do everything right.

Tips & Warnings

• Practice makes perfect. The more frequently your child practices fire escape plans, the more likely your child will follow the fire escape plan in the event of a fire.

• <br>Having your child teach someone else her fire escape plan is the best way to reinforce her learning. She can only teach another person her fire escape plan when she has learned it herself.

• <br>Local fire stations typically have fire safety programs that are tailored to various ages. Take your children to these programs to learn more about how to react in the event of a fire.