At Children’s Discovery Center, your child’s safety is our top priority. Our staff is trained to keep your little ones safe, which includes fire safety training and measures. Not only do we have up-to-date fire alarms in all of our facilities, but we also practice fire drills to ensure our children and staff know the proper escape plan.

It’s the mission of our leadership team to nurture your children and provide the best child care possible. That’s why we strive to educate, inform and equip children and their families with the resources necessary to ensure their safety and well-being.

Here are three ways you can teach your children fire safety at home.

Teach your children how fire alarms work.

According to safekids.org, working smoke alarms increase the chances of safety by 50%.

Make sure your children know what the smoke alarm sounds like. You can do this by testing it in their presence and pointing out where each detector is located. Get them used to the loud noise by encouraging them to cover their ears until the sound of the alarm becomes familiar and they are no longer afraid.

Installing fire alarms on every level of your house – and in every bedroom – is the first step toward fire safety. These detectors should be tested every month to ensure the batteries are still working, and all alarms should be replaced every 10 years or when batteries are low.

If you’re unsure which smoke alarms to buy, here are some of the latest 2022 reviews for the best smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.

Create and practice fire drills at home.

If the fire alarm goes off in your house, do your children know what to do? It’s imperative to have regular family meetings to discuss fire drills and practice escape plans.

Here are a few basic tips:

• Point out the different exits of your home – both front and back doors – as well as any sliding or garage doors.
• Show your children how to drop to the ground and crawl to the nearest exit should the room be filled with smoke.
• Provide your children with two escape routes should one exit be blocked by fire.
• Assure your children you will do everything you can to help them reach safety, but no matter what, they should get out of the house as quickly as possible, with or without you.
• Tell them where the family will meet once they are safely outside.
• Practice fire drills at least twice a year, both day and night.  

Remember to stay calm and let your children know they don’t need to be afraid. With the proper skills, they can practice what you’ve taught them and quickly get to safety. The more you rehearse fire drills, the more confident your children will be.

Teach your children fire prevention.

It’s important to discuss fire prevention and let your children know what fire hazards to avoid. Hopefully, these discussions will prevent fires from starting in the first place. 

Share these essential tips when discussing fire prevention with your child:

• Never play with matches or lighters.
• Never leave a candle burning when no one is in the room.
• Never cook without adult supervision; this includes the microwave and toaster.
• Never run space heaters when no one is home, and keep them at least three feet away from all other objects.

Find books about fire safety at your local library and consider taking a field trip to the fire station. These activities can help children understand the importance of preventing fires and give them the knowledge they need to be safe.

Ultimately, we strive to provide all our families with the tools and resources they need to thrive, as child care safety is a top priority. If there are any questions we can answer regarding fire education, we’re happy to help! Feel free to contact us today.