Home fire drills

[jeff_465]

I'm unsure what to tell my kids (11, 7, 5) what to do if the smoke detector goes off in the middle of the night.

I'm assuming they'll all be somewhere in the three bedrooms in the house. The bedrooms are all grouped together, with the doors pretty much touching eachother. I'm not really sure about having them try to get out on their own except as a last ditch effort.

I think it would be best for the kids to come to mom and dad's room. Of course, I expect to be suddenly wide awake and collecting kids myself.

I know all about the "checking the door/knob for heat, etc" that's recommended, but none of us sleep with the doors closed anway, and I don't expect that to change any time soon. Maybe when they're teenagers...

Maybe I'm thinking about it too much.

Preliminary instructions for the kids -

1. Smoke detector wakes you up.
2. Out of bed, onto the floor.
3. Move toward hallway on hands and knees.
4. Join up w/ rest of family.
5. Exit house through best exit.
6. Off to the neighbors to call 911.

Thoughts?

[Ben Rumson]

Teach them how to bail out through windows if possible. I'm getting ropes once mine are old enough. A fire down stairs will probably fill the stairs out with smoke and fire.

[jeff_465]

I'm thinking windows are the last (second) option. Ours are a b*tch to open anyway. Maybe my 11 year old can get out by OPENING one. All three could probably get out if equipped with a ball bat and a blanket though.

[randy]

I'd STRONGLY recommend moving "Join up w/ rest of family." to after "Exit house through best exit."

Establish a rally point OUTSIDE of the house, away from the house and not one requiring a family member to cross the path of any incoming emergency vehicles. Example: next door neighbors front yard.

Count heads and be ready to flag the first responders and let them know if anyone is missing. DO NOT go back in yourself (easy to say, and, as a father myself, I know probably not so easy to do), maybe they just went out the back and haven't been able to work their way to the rally point. Going back in without proper training and equipment is only going to make another potential victim and complicate the lives of the fire crews.

Everyone's first job is to get out of the house, and then to the rally point. If you happen to join up on the way, bonus. But it's quite possible that they will go into a more dangerous situation in trying to join up in the house, possibly bypassing an easy, safe exit.