Fire Drills and More: Tips for Teaching Kids Fire Safety

Remember school fire drills when you were a kid? Those drills provide critical practice in what to do if a fire breaks out, which is why the drills have never gone out of style. But what if a fire starts at home? Do your kids know what to do in the event of a house fire?

There were 353,500 residential building fires in 2021, according to the US Fire Administration (USFA). The majority of those were caused by cooking, heating devices, or electrical malfunctions. A significant portion was also due to the careless actions of someone in the house or building. Educating your kids about fire safety is the first step to reducing these statistics, as well as saving lives and property if a fire does occur.

Fire drills are a good place to start a conversation about fire safety with your children. These five questions and fire drill guide will also help you make the most of your home fire safety training with family members of all ages.

1. How Do I Know?

Every home should have working smoke detectors on every level, including a detector in every bedroom and outside every sleeping area. Teach your children where the smoke detectors are located and what they sound like when they detect a fire. Change the batteries regularly so a low battery doesn’t set off the alarm and frighten younger family members. 

2. What Should I Do?

Children need to know that when they hear the alarm, they need to exit the building immediately. Unfortunately, the first instinct of many frightened youngsters is to hide. It’s imperative to teach them to get out quickly and how to exit safely.

As you create a family escape plan, make sure everyone knows two ways out of every room in your house if at all possible. Instruct children that windows can create an exit opportunity when the doorway is not an option. Practice opening windows, making sure none are stuck. If you have screens or security bars, be sure those are easy to remove as well.

If you live in a multi-story home, escape ladders should be placed near windows on the upper levels. Your family can also practice using these ladders as part of your regular fire drills if you choose.

3. How Do I Get Out?

Knowing the escape route is only the first part of your safety plan. When smoke starts to fill the building, it can become as dark as night. Family members need to know how to feel their way out of the house when they can’t see the exit path.

It’s also important for everyone in your clan to know they should never open a closed door without checking it first. If the door is hot, teach them how to find an alternative exit. Talk about staying low to the ground as they make their escape to avoid breathing potentially toxic smoke and use a towel or another item to cover their face and mouths as they work their way out.

If clothing should ignite while they are exiting the building, the natural reaction for youngsters may be to try to run away from the flames. However, running will only make the fire spread faster. Teach your family to “stop, drop, and roll” if clothing catches fire.

4. Where Do I Go?

Designate a meeting place outside your home that all family members know how to find easily. It might be a neighbor’s house, a mailbox, or a light post near your home. Practice going to your meeting spot during your fire drills so family members remember where to go if they are forced to evacuate the home.

5. Who Do I Call?

Once safely outside, family members should know how to call 9-1-1 to get first responders on the scene as quickly as possible. Teach your children about the equipment firefighters wear to protect themselves from the flames, heat, and smoke so they know what to expect when the fire truck arrives. If possible, take a trip to your neighborhood fire station so the firemen there can talk to your children about fire safety and the equipment they use for fighting fires.

Fire Drill 101: How Often and What to Include

You can stage fire drills with your family every month to ensure the information remains fresh in everyone’s mind. 

Your fire drill should include these practice exercises:

• Hearing the smoke alarm to remember what it sounds like
• Running your evacuation route and getting to your designated meeting place
• “Feeling” your way out of rooms while blindfolded or with eyes closed
• Checking closed doors for heat before exiting a room
• Staying low to the ground while exiting the building
• Opening windows and using escape ladders on the upper levels of your home
• Rehearsing “Stop, drop, and roll” in case clothing catches fire
• Reviewing how to call 9-1-1 once you are safely out of the house

Fire Safety to Life Skills

Some parents worry that practicing fire drills frequently will frighten children more than teach them about the dangers of fire. However, when children know how to respond to an emergency situation, they are more likely to do so calmly and methodically. When you schedule fire drills in your home, you are not only teaching family members how to get out safely. You are also building essential life skills like decision-making, staying calm under pressure, and caring for others. Fire safety becomes life safety.