How to teach children about fire safety

People take every precaution necessary to ensure that their households are protected from every possible danger, most especially a fire. But how do parents teach children at an early age the importance of fire safety?

Top LPG provider Solane offers these tips on how to teach kids fire safety.

Flammable materials are not toys. A good way to keep children from accidentally starting a fire is not to let them play with objects that may cause a spark. Make sure all lighters and matches are out of their reach. More importantly, make them understand that even if these items are within reach, they are not toys and they should not play with them.

Have your own fire drills and prepare emergency plans. Make sure your kids know where the fire exits, extinguishers and alarms are. Teach your children what to do when a fire breaks out.  Map a escape route, mark all possible exits for every room in the house and make sure the children have them memorized. In case of a fire, identify a meeting point outside your home. Tell the children to remain in that place once they are out of danger so you would know where everybody is and would not have to worry about someone being left behind.

Stay low and make a quick exit. Teach children to stay low and close to the ground where there is less smoke when they are inside a room filled with fumes. They should then crawl their way to safety.

Stop, drop and roll. Remind children not to panic and run when their clothes catch fire to prevent the flames from spreading. Show them how to stop, drop and roll to extinguish the flames.

Know the emergency numbers. Teach your kids how to dial the numbers for emergency services and to call for help in case of an emergency. Keep those numbers close to the telephone for easy access. Teach the kids to speak in a calm, clear voice to avoid confusion.

Keep fire hazards away from children. Kids are naturally curious and will want to explore whatever they find interesting. Advise them to avoid playing with anything electrical, such as sockets and wires.

Practice these tips until they become second nature to everyone in the household. For more information, check out Solane’s website, solane.com.ph.