FIRE DRILLS
HELLO few readers, thank you for being here.
Let’s jump right into it. I could make up some static about how many people/ families that have never practiced a fire drill or how many houses burn. But that doesn’t really matter, it’s a huge, ridiculous number!
It doesn’t take much to have a drill or a house fire. Get the kids involved, make a fun game out of it, let them hear the sound of your smoke detector, and talk to them about fire safety.
Four times a year I try to send out a fire drill email!
Is that because it is the scariest, most likely thing to happen? Not really. There have been nearly 2,000 home fire deaths this year in the US. Statistically, that's just a drop in the bucket, but individually, those are people whose lives were lost and whose families and friends are now without them. It's a serious thing to consider, and home fire prevention will be the best chance you have at not having it happen at your home, even though sometimes the fires are not preventable, and the next most important thing is knowing what to do. So why do this drill four times and the others only once? Well, first of all, nothing is stopping you from doing all the drills you want! The reason I focus on this four times is because it gives you a chance to practice a few things that will make you more successful for any emergency response.
My experience with fire drills started in elementary school with your basic fire drills. Everyone lines up, quietly and calmly and exits the building headed for a designated spot. The teacher had a clip board and made sure their students were all accounted for. I am the second out of four kids. Practicing fire drills was something that we did for fun (and we got good at it)! We had the whole emergency family plan down. We knew where to meet, how to get out of the house, and who was responsible for what. The second story bedroom was the best to practice from. We would throw pillows and blankets down and “help” each other get down and then we would head to the rock (our meeting place). It was a good time!
How do you know there's a problem? (Notification) - With each emergency, you have to learn about it somehow. For an earthquake, the earth quakes. For a tornado, you might hear a tornado siren or get an emergency alert on your phone. For a fire, you might see smoke or flames, smell smoke, or hear your smoke detector (or someone screaming FIRE from the other room). Notification is the first step in response. Fire drills allow you to practice different notification methods, but also reinforce the importance of making sure those systems are in place.
What is happening? (Scene size-up) - In any emergency, you have to figure out what is going on and how bad it is. This will determine what actions are available to you. Once you receive notification, you can either act or verify. For something like earthquakes or tornadoes, you are better off acting. If you know there's a fire, you are better off acting, but if you smell smoke or your smoke alarm goes off, you may need to do a little probing to verify. This could include feeling your bedroom door to see if it's hot from a fire on the other side. It could be checking for smoke or flames, or checking if someone burnt some popcorn.
What do you need to do? (Action) - Once you know how bad it is, you can take the appropriate action, which may be to use a fire extinguisher, evacuate, or maybe just air out the kitchen where there is some smoke but no threat. All of these things are skills you can practice ahead of time. One main aspect of a fire drill is evacuating. This is important because it can be simple or complex, depending on what you learned in your scene size-up. For example, if your main exit route is too dangerous, you will need to choose an alternate exit. No matter the emergency, you will need to take action. Don't just let the situation force your action, assess the situation and make the decision yourself. Evacuation can also be tricky because you may have very little time to act, so you will have time to grab shoes, emergency supplies, your phone, or anything else...without delaying your evacuation. No things are worth your life. Once you are out, make sure you are getting the help you need. For a fire drill, you can simulate calling 911.
Where is everyone? (Accountability) - In any emergency, you need to maintain accountability of everyone you are responsible for, even if it is just yourself. If you have family members, visitors, pets, or whoever else, you need to make sure they all get to safety. You can also let family members outside your area know you are okay. A fire drill helps you practice accountability.
How did we do? (Assess) - When you assess your response, or perform an after-action review, you identify what went well and what you could do better. When something doesn't go well, it's one of two things; you either need to improve your plan, or improve your training. Nobody needs to be blamed. Either you followed the plan and it didn't work (so you need to change the plan), or you didn't follow the plan (so you need to be retrained). It's that simple.
How can we implement those lessons learned into future exercises? (Exercise progression) - You can make these drills and exercises as big or as little as you want. Last week, I had my kids all get in their beds, and while they were there, I tested the smoke alarms to remind the kids what it sounded like. They then each went to their doors to test them for warmth. Once it was clear, we all went through our main exit route. That was it. Next time we'll practice different skills. Sometimes we'll start at different locations or have to take different routes. You get to build off each exercise. We talked about our assembly area outside and how we would get there. We answered our kids' questions and tempered their fears. That's a very important part of all of this; don't scare your kids. Remind them that you don't think this is going to happen, but it's better to know what to do if it does. Help them feel confident in their own abilities. You can go at their pace so you don't make them feel scared or too uncomfortable, and that is still a win. next time you'll get to do a little more. Eventually, you want to get to where you can do a full emergency evacuation and throw in a couple of variations, like blocked exits, injuries, and so on.
So let's talk about what to do to prepare (before), respond (during), and recover (after)..
Fire response is also covered in your free Family Emergency Plan.
To PREPARE, identify your exit routes and draw them out in your emergency plan. Also identify an assembly area outside your home where your family can meet. It should be a safe distance from your home.
If you have or need escape ladders, make sure they are in an accessible place where they will be needed, and that you know how to use them.
Have important documents, like insurance information, stored in another location, accessible online, or in a fireproof safe.
RESPOND by extinguishing the fire if it is safe to do so (the fire is small and you know what you are doing). If smoke is too thick, crawl along the floor to your exit. Feel doors with the back of your hand before opening them. Make sure all family members are accounted for. Call 911 once it is safe to do so.
RECOVER by conducting an assessment of yourself, your family, and your surroundings. Check for injuries and damage to your home. If your home or belongings are damaged, you will need to contact your insurance company. First, get yourself and your family somewhere where you will be able to have safe shelter. This could be a home of a friend or family or a hotel.
So to PRACTICE today, do a fire drill. Explain to your family what you will be doing. Identify exit routes and your assembly area. Conduct your fire drill and time your family to see how quickly you can make it out.
(If you feel confident in your response to fire, then add to your exercise by adding variations like exiting your home blindfolded or by using your alternate exits, but always make sure you do these actions safely).
BONUS TIP: If there is a kitchen fire in a pot or pan, simply remove it from the heat and put a lid on it. Do not use water. Smothering the fire will be the most effective way of putting it out.
If you haven't printed your own copy of the Family Emergency Plan, what are you waiting for?
Until next time
Hayley D.
Please REMEMBER YOU are YOUR first responder and minutes count
PREPARED NOT SCARED