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It is important to start teaching children
as young as two and three the importance of safety. Teaching age-appropriate
preschool fire safety is easy when using songs, games and other
fun activities to engage the children in learning.
Fire safety for kids is a responsibility that
should be shared by both parents and educators. To make it fun
and easier for a child in preschool to remember basic fire safety
tips, the internet holds a wealth of information. Games can reinforce
lessons about staying low in a fire by having the children crawl
under hanging sheets or towels. Teach children how to dial 9-1-1
and what kind of information to give to the operator. Other fire
safety activities include singing easy to remember rhyming songs
that teach children to Stop, Drop and Roll, or using house plans
to have the children draw escape routes.
In kindergarten, children are old enough to go
on a field trip to the local fire station to learn about other
fire safety equipment. They can practice actual fire safety drills
and learn about other home safety measures, such as when to use
a fire extinguisher and what to do when the smoke alarm sounds.
Any person operating a preschool should make sure
that an annual fire risk assessment of the premises is performed.
Failure to do so may result in the suspension of the license to
operate the preschool. Having detectors and extinguishers in good
working condition is absolutely important when you’re in
charge of the life of others especially the kids entrusted to
your care.
To ensure that the best protection is provided
for the children, the preschool may want to buy safety equipment
made by leading manufacturers. Kidde is well-known for making
an excellent fire extinguisher that is effective against several
classes of fires. The Kidde smoke detector is also a good choice
because it is affordable and reliable. If you’re looking
for a unit that can be plugged into an outlet you could take a
look at the First Alert detector units. They have a unit that
combines the benefits of an added smoke detector with a recorded
voice that can alert you to the actual location of the danger.
Both First Alert and Kidde safety products are available at major
retailers, and you can buy them online.
As parents and educators, we share a responsibility
to ensure the safety of our children, at home and at school. Start
teaching kids about fire safety no later than preschool, and keep
reinforcing the lessons as they get older.
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