Top Five Fire Safety Tips for Families

In light of National Fire Prevention Month, during the month of October, The Malvern School lends extra focus towards fire safety for families. As the safety of children is our number one priority, we know informing families of important fire safety practices and teaching children these topics at an early age can be the difference in keeping a child safe. Throughout the month, students have explored the topic of fire safety through various activities and play, topped off with a visit from local firefighters to bring this topic to life.

Firefighters Micheal Coogan (left) and Dustin Vaugn (right) of the Malvern Fire Company

Firefighters Dustin Vaugn and Micheal Coogan of the Malvern Fire Company stopped by to teach our Malvern School friends about the importance of fire safety and give insight into what parents can do to help.

What can you do? Here’s a round-up of the top 5 fire safety tips parents can implement today:

1) Be aware of your surroundings:

“Although it sounds simple enough, many people do not pay close attention to their surroundings or respect the materials that they’re working with. Of course, never leave things such as candles and stoves unattended, but further than that, be conscious of what materials are highly flammable and always proceed with caution when using them.”

2) Change the batteries in your smoke alarms twice a year:

“Making sure your smoke alarms are up to date and functioning is one of the easiest ways to prevent an emergency. When you turn the clocks back this November, change the batteries in all smoke alarm devices in your home. Coinciding this with daylight savings time is the best way to ensure they are always up to date.”

3) Keep all bedroom doors closed when sleeping:

“Although parents of young children are hesitant to do this, keeping all bedroom doors closed during the night is the best way to keep a child safe in case of a fire. This initiative comes as the result of over 10 years of research proving that this practice saves lives. Closing doors blocks smoke, reduces room temperature, and buys firefighters time to get to victims safely. ”

4) Keep an open conversation with your children about fire safety:

“Teaching your children fire safety basics and keeping an open conversation about what they can do in case of a fire is a must for parents. The most important things to cover are how to call 911, knowing two different ways out of the house, and having a meeting place on your property all in case of an emergency.”

5) Familiarize your children with firefighters:

“Above all, the most important initiative for parents of young children is to familiarize their child with firefighters and teach them that we are here to help. In a lot of instances, children end up hiding from firefighters because of their ‘scary’ appearance. We always encourage parents to bring their children to the fire station and familiarize them as much as possible so if they are ever in that situation, they know we’re there to help.”