Where There's Smoke There's Fire!

The first real job I ever had was babysitting two small girls, whose dad just happened to be a local firefighter. Two things stuck with me from that amazing experience. The first memory being that at ages one and five years old, both girls knew what to do "In case of fire" in their home. The dad,  a conscientious firefighter,  had a predetermined escape route and meeting place outside their home in case their house ever caught fire. The girls were routinely drilled about what to do in the event of fire,  and were both very knowledgable about fire safety. The second important piece of information that stuck with me was about how to escape from a fire in which the building was overcome by smoke and flames, thus reducing visibility considerably. The dad, after training and drilling me in fire safety, told me a story of a time when he found himself blown into a smoke filled room by an explosion while fighting a house fire. He told me that if you look across from just about every doorway in a building, there are one or more windows on the wall opposite that doorway. So, having been blown into a dark room, being disoriented and unable to see, he had panicked for a split second. However, soon his extensive training as a firefighter kicked in and he recalled the "rule" regarding doorways and windows. He began to feel his way along the wall that he was slammed into, and he was able to find a window. He smashed the window with his helmet, called to his fellow firefighters for help and  was safely rescued. This story has always remained with me, and when I discuss fire safety in my classroom,  or with my own children, I include this story. I hope no one ever has to find him/herself in this predicament, but in the event that you do, hopefully you will remember this story and be able to reach safety unharmed.

So, my question to all of you is --What precautions, safety rules, or fire awareness information do you share with your children? For a long time, Stop, Drop, and Roll was a popular slogan for situations in which you had already caught on fire. But, do you explain or drill your children about what to do to prevent themselves from getting stuck in a situation in which they would have to Stop, Drop and Roll? Ever since my girls were young I made it a point to discuss fire safety with them. We all never think it could happen to us, but isn't it nice to be prepared in the event that fire strikes?

 A couple of years ago, while I was vacationing in Rhode Island, I happened to wake up at 6:00 a.m. to begin packing, and realized that I had missed several phone calls, starting at around 3:00 a.m.,  from my 29 year old daughter. My mind immediately began to race with thoughts about what could have possibly happened to my mom, a severe heart patient with a long history of heart failure, strokes, and other complications. Just as I was about to dial my daughter's number, my phone rang again. It was my daughter, and she was panicking. The 100 plus year old vacant Victorian home next to our equally old home had caught fire. My daughter began to recount the horrific morning she had spent evacuating the dogs, spraying our bordering property and shed with our garden hose, moving our cars, looking for our cats, calling my parents for help, and making decisions regarding the destruction of the burned out, unstable, shell that remained of the house next door. Because of the repeated discussions regarding the steps to take in the event of a fire, not only were our pets saved, but our entire property, shed, and gardens were in perfect condition, as well. The firefighters later told me that it was my daughter's quick thinking and actions that prevented cars, bushes, and our home from catching fire.

                                  The flames shooting up just behind the corner of our house.

If you have not done so already, please take the time to develop a Fire Safety Plan. Visit your local fire department, and I am sure they would gladly help you to develop effective escape routes, meeting locations, and ways to prevent fires. The number one thing that I would highly recommend to everyone is to keep all fire alarms in working condition, and replace batteries regularly. I say this because it was the fire alarms going off in OUR house, due to the massive smoke from the house burning next door, that saved our home and everyone that day. Be safe and be prepared!