In wake of the recent study that has shown that most children will not wake up when the smoke detector goes off the need for a solid fire escape plan is more necessary than ever before.
The study took a selection of children of various ages, both girls and boys and set off the smoke detectors at full blast in a situation that emulated the way a house would be set up with smoke detectors in most situations.
The study showed that the children almost entirely slept through the blasting alarm and barely moved. There were a few children, almost exclusively girls, who did wake up but the number was very disconcerting indeed.
While those studies have shown us that we need to improve in the way we alert people to an event that potentially has the ability to harm us and our families the fact still remains that we need to have a serious fire safety plan in effect no matter where we are.
Even when on the road, whether on vacation with our families or traveling for business we should always be aware of exactly where the exits are located and what the protocols are for an event like a fire or mass evacuation when staying in a hotel or other accommodations.
Knowing where you are going to go and even practicing that eventuality with those who are with you can mean the difference between getting out safely or being a part of the mass panic that those situations can sometimes bring on.
As far as your own house or dwelling you absolutely need to come up with a solid fire escape plan and communicate that to your family in as much detail as required.
Your children and other family members need to know exactly where they will go and what they will do if the unexpected should happen and you need to commit to practicing this at regular intervals.
It is not enough to say “you need to do A..B..C..” it needs to be practiced and then practiced some more so that it is fully imprinted on the brain and can be done in both the dark and in the light.
Anything you can do to make the practice more realistic is recommended.
The biggest thing to remember is that in a fire there is very little time to act and not having a standard fire plan that is well thought out and communicated extensively to everyone in the family can mean the difference between life and death.
Talk to the experts and get the help you need to develop a solid plan of action and then practice, practice, practice. Hoping that an event never occurs is NOT the same as planning for its possibility.
