Every September is Emergency Preparedness Month. We want to take this opportunity to share an activity that is very serious. This week our Family Night Activity will focus on one example where being prepared ahead can make all the difference. Do you have a family evacuation plan and designated meeting place outside the house? If your family has not put in place an emergency plan, now is the best time to put in a little effort before you need it for real. Here are some great tools and ideas for an amazing plan that covers just about every emergency situation.
Fire Safety Plan
Sit down with your family and talk about fire safety. See what your children already know about fires. Explain to each of the family members that you will all work together thinking of different emergency plans, the importance of knowing all of this information and knowing where to meet in case of a fire (or any other emergency). Write down different ideas from the family and then choose one that you all agree on. The next thing to do is probably the most important. Do a practice drill. Have the family members go into a different room. Blow a whistle and go to the designated place where you will meet everybody. See how fast everyone can get out of the house and to the meeting place. Keep practicing this drill. Do this drill every couple months just to make sure that you and your family are prepared. You can really add something very special to this very important lesson by planning a trip to the local fire station.
Emergency Preparedness Bag
You can assembly your own emergency preparedness bag. Think of things that should be placed into the emergency bag. Some of the materials you decide you already have in your house. For those items you don’t have, take a family trip to the store and have your kids help find items that should be in the bag. When you get home have the children place everything into the bag and then put it where it will be easy to grab (make sure kids know this bag is for emergencies other than fire).
There are some very good sources of additional information on fire safety and emergency preparedness at the American Red Cross website. You can link to view resources for smoke detectors and emergency preparedness kits.
Smokey Game
You can do a fun game and take a very important inventory at the same time. Have each child draw a simple map of your house (help as needed). On your command have the children locate each smoke detector in the house and mark it on the map. Next have them draw an escape path on their map and where your designated meeting place is outside of the house. You can add that each smoke detector is checked to make sure it works (great for older kids to learn). Now go ahead and start the competition (remember to emphasize accuracy over speed).
Firefighter Game
Materials
- Two large garbage bags
- Two sets of jacket, pants, hat, shoes, gloves, etc (or as many sets as children)
- Flashlights
The children can have a firefighter relay race. Place the clothing sets in different piles along with the flashlights and clothing sets in different rooms. Turn out the lights and the fun starts. The children with have to put on all the clothing into their bags when they find the flashlights and than out to the designated family meeting place. When the activity is done talk to the children about firefighters and what their job is.
Suggested Conversation Starters (these are just ideas and can be altered depending on the ages or developmental stages of your kids)
Use some of these questions to help remind your children what to do if there is a fire.
1. What are some things you know about fires? How should you react if there is a fire in the house? Where is the family meeting place? Is it important to grab our favorite things if there is a fire in the house?
2. What do the kids do at a friend’s house if there is a fire?
Suggested Movie Titles
These are some very good videos with quick informative clips about fire safety for children
Donald’s Fire Drill
Donald’s Fire Survival Plan
Fire Drill! The Lifesaving Mission
The Detector Protectors
Suggested Bed Time Stories/Reading
Arthur’s Fire Drill by Marc Brown
Big Frank’s Fire Truck by Leslie McGuire
Dot the Fire Dog by Lisa Desimini
Firefighters A to Z by Chris L. Demarest