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Prepare and
practice
In October, we talked about home escape plans. Over the last two weeks,
we’ve talked about the importance of smoke detectors and how scary trying
to escape a fire can be. So where does all of this talk lead us?
People who prepare in advance of a house fire by planning their escape and
practicing that plan will have a much better chance of surviving a fire.
Hopefully I can give you some ideas on how to practice your home escape
plan that I hope you already have in place.
Have everyone walk through the house and inspect every possible exit and
escape route from your home. Never assume a child would consider using a
window as an escape route. Most children love to draw, so have them draw a
floor plan of your home and mark two ways they could escape from their
room. Make a game out of practicing by blindfolding each child and let them
find their way out of the house. It’s also important to teach them how to
open their w! indow with
the blindfold on. Time them so they can see how much their time improves
each time they escape.
You could even design your game to give bonus points for remembering to do
extra things like going to the designated meeting place and checking doors
with the back of their hand before opening them. After your plan is in
place and you’ve practiced it over and over, you should put it to the test.
Plan a fire drill after everyone has gone to sleep.
It’s important that you tell the kids before going to bed because the
objective is to teach and not scare the children. I would suggest you set
off the smoke detectors with the test button to see if it wakes everyone,
especially the children.
If your system is monitored, make sure it is set so your monitoring company
does not call the fire department. If the detectors do not wake everyone,
you need to consider relocating or adding smoke detectors and make sure an
adult is assigned to wake ! up
any child that might not hear the smoke alarm. You should have a dr ill at least twice a year.
As adults, we know that anything we attempt in life is more successful if
we’re prepared. I know a home escape plan is not something people think
about daily, but if a fire strikes and you’re prepared, it could be one of
the best decisions you’ve ever made.
24/7/365: You call; we respond.
KENNETH LEE KNIGHT is a battalion chief in the High Point Fire Department.He can be contacted at
kenneth.knight@highpointnc.gov.
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