GET INVOLVED: FIRE PREVENTION WEEK 2021
3 October – 9 October, 2021 – Embolden PDC is encouraging the dayhome community to get involved in Fire Prevention Week. This years theme is “Learn the Sounds of Fire Safety”. Follow us on Facebook & Instagram this week as we post a variety of tools & resources to help you make the most out of this important week!
In this blog post we’re talking about FIRE DRILLS and how essential they are for the safety of your dayhome program and children.
It’s recommended that fire drills (or evacuations in general) are practiced monthly with the sounding of the fire alarm.
This monthly practice helps children “learn the sounds of safety” and how to respond appropriately in the event of a true emergency.
What is a fire drill?
A fire drill is the organized evacuation of a building to prepare its occupants for the proper procedure in the event of an actual fire. The purpose of a fire drill is to familiarize yourself and your dayhome with an evacuation plan and re-enforce proper evacuation routes and practices.
Why are they important?
When it comes to any emergency we plan for the worst then hope it never happens. We encourage dayhomes to do a fire drill once a month. Instead of answering questions and attempting to herd terrified children out the door when the alarm sounds everyone will be able to exit the house in a calm and orderly manner.
The leading cause of house fires is cooking in the kitchen. As childcare providers, we are in the kitchen a lot preparing food and have set off our smoke alarms a time or two. What happens though if it isn’t a false alarm and you and the children need to evacuate. Does everyone know what to do, is there a plan in place?
What to do
Each month pick a different day and time of day to explain to your dayhome children what a fire drill is and why we do them. Walk through the steps of the drill slowly without sounding the alarm this way any questions that come up can be discussed. Next sound the alarm on its own so the children can hear how loud it is and what it sounds like. Then put it all together to complete your very first fire drill.
- Hear the alarm
- Get up and walk don't run
- Know two ways out of every room
- Get yourself outside quickly
- Go to your outside meeting place
Resources
Here are some links to resources that can be used to help teach children about fire safety and doing fire drills.
National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) – Lesson plans & activity ideas
Sparky – Videos, games, activities & more
Elementary Safety – Colouring sheets & comics
Emergency Preparedness Guide
Check out the section in our guide that goes into more detail about doing fire drills!
We’ll also walk you step by step through the process of preparing an Emergency Response Plan complete with evacuation map and checklists to help you navigate any emergency you may experience within your dayhome.