Did you know that children under 5 and adults over 65 are the most likely to die in home fires?
Hello, Moms! If you have children in school (or preschool) you may know that it’s Fire Prevention Week! My daughter is already eagerly awaiting the fire truck visit to her preschool next week, complete with a “shiny red fire hat.”
Do you know these facts about home fires? According to National Fire Protection Awareness:
Thanksgiving is the peak day for home cooking fires.
49% of all home-heating fires occur in December, January, and February.
Seven people in the United States die each day in a home fire.
Children under 5 and adults over 65 are the most likely to die in a home fire.
With two children under five, the last statistic makes me shudder. I am so grateful for visits from our local fire station to introduce the topic of fire safety to my daughter; however, I know that I need to do more to teach her about what to do in the event of a fire in our home.
While researching age appropriate resources for her, I stumbled across the official Fire Prevention Week website (www.nfpa.org) and want to share this fabulous site and information with you!
During this post, I’ll share the most helpful information that I found as a mom of young children from this site. Next week, I’ll share with you about our first family fire drill and some other feedback from teaching my daughter about fire safety for the first time while using this site.
Teaching Our Kids
So, where will I start with my four-year-old? I’m looking no further than this amazing link below, complete with engaging videos, fun activities, and online games for kids. It also has mini-lessons that are great for teachers or homeschooling moms. Thank you, NFPA, for making this so easy!
My former-teacher tip to you is to always preview content before your child views to make sure that it is age-appropriate. This will also give you an opportunity to think through topics that may be difficult for young children. Also, make it fun! While this is a serious topic, children will respond better when the topic is approached in a fun way.
I’ll share how our family’s time on the site went next week!
Information for Parents
Before we can share with our kids, we may need to brush-up on information ourselves! Here are some helpful links aimed at informing parents in order to keep your family safe:
CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/features/fire-prevention-week/index.html
FEMA: https://www.usfa.fema.gov/prevention/outreach/fief/
ADT: https://www.adt.com/resources/fire-safety-checklist
Want some quick tips?
Have just few minutes? Please check out these quick and easy-to-read tip- sheets with information about fire safety at home and in public. Topics include space heaters, home evacuation, smoke alarms, and fire safety for those with disabilities- just to name a few.
Check them out in English here:
https://www.nfpa.org/Public-Education/Campaigns/Fire-Prevention-Week/Safety-Tip-Sheets
Many other languages are also available:
Moms, do you have tips for teaching your family about home fires? Does your family have an evacuation plan? If so, share in the comments below!