Fire Safety and Your Children | SERVPRO of West Milwaukee

6/10/2023 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of West Milwaukee is here for you and your family if you experience a fire in your home or business.

Keeping your kids safe is certainly a full-time job sometimes! It is hard work showing them the world while also doing your best to minimize danger and unpredictable situations.

While your children need to learn certain things in order to stay safe, it can be hard to introduce them to certain topics without scaring them with the facts. House fires certainly fall into this category. Fire can be scary for everyone, whether you are 5 or 55.

By introducing fire safety concepts in a fun or light-hearted way, you can increase your child’s likelihood of responding appropriately in the midst of a true emergency. Read on to gain some great ideas!

<h3fire-around-the-house">Explaining Fire Around the House

Your kids are constantly watching you. They are taking in every moment from when you turn on your stove to when you light your favorite candle, so it should be no surprise if your child is curious about fire. Take the time to explain what fire is and how it helps you around the home, and take a walk around to each space in your home where fire is used.

Explain how fire starts and how it spreads, and be sure to explain to them that matches and lighters should never be played with. A single lit match is all it takes to start a full blaze in your home, so teach your kids that these are tools for adults, not toys for kids.

<h3firefighters">Introducing Firefighters

Many kids look up to firefighters and police officers, but many of them are also shy around authority. Seeing a firefighter in his or her full gear can be scary or intimidating! In order to reduce this anxiety, expose your children to pictures, books and videos about firefighters and attend local meet-and-greet opportunities so your children can see these people in real life.

If your children meet your local fire crew now, it can help your children recognize them in a true emergency and trust the firefighters to bring them to safety. In order for this to happen, your kids have to be confident in calling for help! Practice this by holding a contest to see who can yell their name the loudest from their rooms and then practice army crawling through the house.

<h3together">Plan Together

You probably know how to get out of your home quickly in an emergency, but do your children? Involve them in creating your emergency exit plan by letting them find all of the ways out of each room in your home and write it down together. Make it a game and time them!

Don’t forget to include the windows in your plan. While it might seem scary to show your children how to open and get out of your windows, this is necessary for a true emergency situation. Teach them how to do this, but instill the rule that this skill is only to be used as a last resort and should never be used for fun.

Finally, choose an outdoor meeting location together and practice! Do a full run-through of your entire plan, and ensure your children know how to call 911 once safely outside.

Fires can cause widespread damage. Call us for a thorough and efficient restoration.