- Start be teaching your child what fire is. You can light a candle and talk about the flame. Tell him that the flame is very hot and it melts the candle. Explain that touching the candle would burn his finger and hurt very badly. Next, teach him about how fires start. Explain that anything that gets very, very hot can start on fire. Talk about ways to stop this from happening. Children have a bad habit of laying things on top of table lamps, so be sure to emphasize how dangerous this can be. Tell your child that light bulbs get very hot and anything that touches a light bulb can catch on fire. Finally, teach your child about lighters, matches and fireplaces. Explain that only adults should use a lighter to light a candle and kids should never try to light the fireplace. Go all around your house together looking for anything that could be dangerous. Let your child point out anything he thinks might catch on fire. Talk about which things are safe and which are not.
- Show your child where the smoke alarms in your house are located. Use the test button to show her the noise that they make and then explain that if she ever hears that noise, it means something got very hot and caused smoke. Let your child be in charge of smoke alarm testing. Go over the calendar and put a sticker on one day every month to remind you that it is fire alarm safety day. Each month, go together to each alarm in the house and test to make sure it works. Then let your child put a check mark on the calendar. Twice a year, change the batteries in the smoke alarm. When you do, put two check marks on the calendar so you remember when you did it last.
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Talk to your child about what happens in a house fire. Tell him that he needs to get out of the house as quickly as possible. Tell him that sometimes house fires are very loud and he may not be able to call out to mommy and daddy for help.
Determine an escape route for the home. Go into each room and talk about ways to get out of the room. One way is to go through the window. Allow the child to try opening the window himself to make sure he can do it. If bedrooms are on the second floor, purchase emergency fire ladders and teach your child to use it.
Tell your child that if his door is shut, he should feel it. If it is hot, do not open it and instead go out the window. If the door is not hot, but he hears the smoke alarm he can go out in the hallway and call for you. If you do not answer, he should go directly outside. Plan a meeting place for your family, such as a few houses down at a neighbors house where you can safely call the fire department to come take care of your fire. Practice your escape route with the entire family to make sure everyone is comfortable.
