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By
Catherine M. Pruissen
Did
you know that:
- You
have no more than 3 minutes to escape a burning
building?
- More
people die from smoke inhalation than from fire
itself?
- Fire
creates so much smoke that a room turns pitch black
in minutes?
- The
toxic fumes created by a fire can kill you within
a few breaths?
- Heat
produced by a fire can exceed temperatures of more
than 1000 degrees F, yet temperatures of more than
150 degrees F can cause your body to shut down?
Given
above, can you get your family or the children at
your child care facility out safely on a moment's
notice? If you are telling yourself you "think
so", that isn't good enough. You have to "know
so" and without a shadow of a doubt.
The
first step in any fire prevention plan is to ensure
all fire alarms, sprinkler systems and extinguishers
are fully operational. Follow this with a detailed
escape route from every room in your home or facility.
Use a piece of graph paper and draw the outline of
your home marking each room, window, door and stairwell.
Use arrows to make exit points. Practice your escape
routes monthly to ensure everyone knows exactly what
to do should a fire occur.
It
is equally important to teach children fire safety.
Some simple tips include:
- Showing
the children how to stop, drop and roll if their
clothing catches fire - have them practice the move
- Teaching
them to alert an adult if they see smoke or fire
- Showing
them the safe spot (where to go) once they are outside
a burning building
- Borrowing
books from the library that explain fire safety
- Visiting
your local fire station.
And
of course, saving lives begins by preventing fires.
You need to:
- Keep
all matches and flammables away from a child's reach
- Keep
exits, doorways and stairwells free of clutter at
all times
- Ensure
curtains, blankets and bedspreads are not close
to heat sources such as the stove, space heater,
radiators, heat vents, etc.
As
with anything, how much you know is not as
important as what you do with what you know.
Please take a moment and call your local fire department
for more lifesaving fire tips.
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©
Catherine M. Pruissen
Catherine M. Pruissen is the CEO of About Child Care
Consumer Services and developer of child care online.
She has published numerous child care related literature,
including Start and
Run a Profitable Home Day Care, The
Daycare Alternative, How to Find Good Child Care,
Caregiver Aids: Business
Forms for Caregivers and Parents, Income
Tax & Record Keeping for Child Care Providers,
and a host of workshops and workbooks. She was the editor
and publisher of the bi-monthly newsletter, Parent Care,
Your Child Care News-line. Catherine was also the coordinator
and workshop facilitator for The Child Care Information
Centre in Calgary, Alberta, and ran a successful dayhome
for eight years. |
