Teach your kids fire safety
Every year, many children lose their lives at home from fire and burns. Parents are the best people to teach children how to be safe at home.
Use this checklist from Safe Kids Worldwide to get everyone in your family up to speed on fire safety.
Prevent burn injuries Keep hot things away from children.
Lock up all matches and lighters.
Stay in the kitchen when you cook.
Don’t let children use the stove or microwave oven
Test hot food before giving it to your child.
Don’t carry a hot drink when you are also carrying your child.
Keep hot drinks and food away from the edge of counters and tables.
Set your water heater at 120˚ F.
Test the water before your child gets into the tub.
Blow out candles when adults leave the room.
Cool a burn If you burn your skin, cool it with cool water for 3 to 5 minutes. Do this right away.
Do not put ice, butter, or lotion on the burn.
See your doctor or call 911 if the burn looks bad.
Teach your children to: Stay away from hot things. Stay 3 feet or about 3 giant steps away.
Stay away from matches and lighters.
Tell a grownup when they need help or spot something hot.
Get out if there is a fire Get your family out fast when you hear the smoke alarm.
Get out if you see or smell smoke. Grab your cell phone if you can.
Help your children get out.
Go to your family meeting place outside.
Go outside and stay outside! Do not go back into your home.
Call the fire department from outside.
If you can’t get out because of smoke, close the door. Stay low by a window where the fire fighters can find you quickly. Air that is low or near the floor is safer to breathe.
Sleeping children may not hear the smoke alarm. They will need your help to wake up and get out. Plan for this.
Teach your children to go outside quickly if they hear the smoke alarm or if there is a fire, go to the family meeting place, and get out and stay out.
Use smoke alarms Fire spreads fast and makes smoke, which can kill.
Put working smoke alarms in or near rooms where people sleep, and on every level of your home. Place them high on the wall or on the ceiling.
Test smoke alarms each month.
Change batteries once a year or sooner if the alarm chirps.
Do not take out the batteries to stop the alarm sound.
Get your family out when you hear the alarm.
If your alarms are 10 years old or older, get new ones.
Make a home escape map Make a plan with your family to get out fast if there is a fire.
Draw a map of your home. Show the rooms, doors, and windows that go outside.
Know two ways out of every room. Mark them on the map.
Have a safe place to meet outside, in front of and away from your home.
Go over the map and plan with your family.
Practice a family fire drill twice a year. (Do not practice going out windows.)
Source: safekids.org