This afternoon, we were visited by some firefighters from Moortown Fire Station. They came in to give us some information about how important fire safety is.
They started by explaining what a fire is. We found out about ‘The Triangle of Fire’. For a fire to start, you need three things: heat, power and ______ (ask your child what the third component is).
Then, just as our actual smoke alarm sounded (don’t panic, the incident was dealt with quickly) we were told about the importance of having smoke alarms fitted in our house. We watched a video simulation of a fire and saw that in just three minutes the room was filled with smoke. The smoke alarm sounded after 15 seconds meaning that anyone in the house had a better chance of making it to safety.
We also learnt that having a ‘Fire Action Plan‘ in place for your house can significantly improve a family’s chances of survival in the case of an emergency. A good action plan would incorporate the following points:
- think (Are exit routes and hallways clear? Have you considered alternative exit routes)
- plan (Where are keys kept? Are they easily accessible? Where are house phones and mobile phones kept?)
- tell (How will you tell each other about the fire? How will you tell the fire service?)
- be safe (Remember not to try and fight the fire yourself. If in doubt, stay in a room, close the door, cover the cracks in the door with towels and open the window. Then, wait for the fire brigade to arrive.)
Ask your child if they can help you create a suitable fire action plan for your own home.
