Fire Safety

Since today is the day we "spring ahead" our clocks and change the batteries in our smoke detectors (go check them!), I thought I would dedicate this post to fire safety for kids. As someone who has lost a house to fire, I know how important fire safety can be. Talk with your kids - practice with them! And if your child is too young to get themselves out of a fire, read these safety tips from a local firefighter:

• Have a smoke detector in EVERY bedroom, in the kitchen, one on each level of your home, and one in the hallway outside your bedrooms
• Have at least one fire extinguisher in your home (ours is in our kitchen) and be sure to perform maintenance on it. Fire extinguishers need to be spun (lay it on its side and roll or spin it) at least every 6 months to keep the chemicals from settling and clumping. When you check the batteries in your smoke detector, be sure to check your fire extinguisher as well.
• If your child is too young to open doors or safely get themselves out in the event of a fire, tell them to stay low and stay where the are. Tell them DO NOT HIDE.
• Make sure your child is familiar with firefighters. Take them to a local fire station and let them see firefighters with their full gear on. If the first time they see a firefighter fully dressed is during a fire, they may get scared and hide or run away.
• Have an escape route and practice it with your child.
• Tell your child that if they are too scared to get themselves out, stay put and you or a firefighter will come get them.
• Keep a sling/harness near the baby's crib so you can carry them out hands free.

Here are some great links for Kids' Fire Safety with info and games for kids to play:

List of Kid Friendly Sites

FireSafety.gov For Kids

US Fire Admin Kids

Sparky the Fire Dog