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Fire Safety Doesn’t Have to Be Scary | SERVPRO® of Sioux Falls
6/10/2023 (Permalink)
SERVPRO of Sioux Falls is here for you and your family if you experience a fire in your home or business.
There are a lot of rewards that come with raising children, but the responsibility certainly isn’t without some incredibly hard work. You have the blessing of watching them grow and explore the world while teaching them about life. Some lessons, however, are harder to teach than others.
Fire safety is an incredibly important life skill that needs to be taught early and often. It is a scary concept to teach, though, no matter what age you are working with.
When you introduce how to stay safe in a fire emergency to your children in a fun and comfortable way, they can absorb your lessons and your whole family can stay safe.
Kids learn best when they are able to experience the lesson hands-on in order to see causes and effects. Start your fire safety lessons by explaining to your children different ways fires may start. Walk them through your house and point out particularly risky areas, including the stove and fireplace if you have one. Make sure they understand how this equipment should be safely used.
Matches and lighters should always be kept out of children’s reach, and you should make it a family rule that any found matches should immediately be brought to an adult. Entire homes have been consumed in flames that started from a single smoldering match.
Authority figures can be a scary concept for children, particularly when they are in full uniform. Talk to your children about who would respond should a fire start, and show them pictures of what firefighters look like with their gear on. Make sure they understand these people are there to get them to safety, and consider introducing your children to these heroes in person to help them get even more comfortable.
Practice with your children how they can help firefighters find them during an emergency by creating a couple of games. Have them crawl down a hallway to see who can move the fastest. Use your smoke detector as the starting bell so they get used to hearing it, and have them call out their name at the finish line. Make it a fun experience that will stick with them long-term.
Work with your family to create an emergency exit plan that includes the fastest route out of each space in your home. Get creative with it and bring out some craft supplies for the kids as they design their own maps of your home.
Play another timed game with your kids to see who can follow each escape route the fastest. Be sure to talk about windows, and how they should only be used as a last resort way to safely get out of your home. While your children need to be able to properly operate windows, they also need to understand the dangers associated with them so they don’t feel comfortable enough to play inappropriately.
Create a meeting spot safely away from danger. Make sure your children know this is your safe space, and teach them how to call 911. Help them memorize basic facts to relay to safety professionals. The more prepared your family is, the safer everyone can stay.
Fires can cause widespread damage. Call us for a thorough and efficient restoration.