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Fire Prevention: Tips to Prevent Fires
Fire Prevention Tips
Since 1922, National Fire Prevention Week has been set in the week that includes October 9th, commemorating the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. That is a great start! But there is room to teach fire safety to elementary-age children in a variety of subjects with a variety of activities.
Fire safety can be taught as a part of your STEM curriculum, history and social studies, and even EL/vocabulary lessons–highlighting key fire safety phrases, such as Get Out/Stay Out, and words such as egress. A creative curriculum can be developed for fire safety at home, at school, and in the great outdoors. What do children need to learn about fire prevention and safety? Here are some suggestions, including sources of teaching materials.
The Usefulness of Fire
Fires are commonly used for heating, cooking, lighting, and manufacturing of items. While uncontrolled fires are dangerous and scary, children should understand the necessity and utility of fires under control.
How Fires Start
A fire requires three elements to start and continue burning—oxygen, fuel, and an ignition source. When children understand this principle, they understand the causes and risks of fire. They can better understand what they can control when a fire starts. It also helps them identify potential methods of extinguishing a fire in a safe manner.
Fire Prevention
Preventing fires from starting accidentally can be learned at a very young age. While matches and lighters might hold curiosity, the risk of playing with ignition sources should keep curiosity in check. Common sources of heat or sparks, such as candles and space heaters gain respect. Children can learn to stay at least three feet away from fireplaces, kitchen stoves, and grills.
Speaking of outdoor grills, the U.S. Forest Service has long provided elementary education concerning preventing wildfires, using a widely recognized mascot—Smokey Bear. They focus on safely using sources of spark or flame in areas with a lot of fuel to prevent wildfires.
Fire Prevention and Fire Safety Plans
Children can participate in developing fire safety plans for their classroom or their homes. The plan should be detailed enough to apply to any room on any level of the facility. The plans include evacuation routes, accounting for all occupants, an agreed-upon meeting location, and a plan to call 911 for emergency services. Drills to practice the evacuation plan can/should be completed twice annually.
Involving children in the development of such plans makes them viable and memorable action items. Emergencies often create panic. When even the youngest of family members or students is involved in this type of plan, implementing the plan under stress is much easier.
Teaching Tools
The National Fire Protection Association uses a very recognizable icon, Sparky, a Dalmatian fire dog, to teach children various aspects of fire safety and preparedness. Sparky is used in training videos and printable material. SparkySchoolHouse.org
The Red Cross adds a different dynamic to fire safety and preparedness, focusing on residential and family settings. RedCross.org
The U.S. Department of Agriculture/Forest Service began using a fire survivor bear in 1944. Smokey Bear has been telling children and adults, “Only you can prevent forest fires,” ever since. SmokeyBear.com
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