It Could Happen to you

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• Fire Prevention Safety Tips
• Around the House

By Deborah Clark

It is every parents' nightmare and too many parents' reality. A fire starts and before you know it, it has spread and is raging out of control. The causes are many and varied but, too often the results are the same. As parents, we try to make our homes safe. We cover outlets with plug covers, turn pot handles in on the stove, and keep poisonous cleaners out of our children's reach.

But, what about the other places in our children's lives? Have you ever checked the fire drill procedures in the community club, daycare or school your child attends? Do you and your child know where the emergency exits are? Will the facility contact you if there is a fire? Do you know where to go? You should know the answers to these questions. Your child's life could depend on it.

Licensed day care facilities have to have monthly fire drills. Their emergency procedures have to be posted. But, did you know that many schools are not required to have monthly drills, and they only have to post the emergency routes in the classrooms. Community clubs must pass a safety inspection but seldom have drills. These facilities all should have fire extinguishers and most have sprinkler systems. The exceptions is family day care homes, they are not expected to have sprinklers as they are in a residential setting. Some day care centres have no sprinklers as there is insufficient funds in most budgets during these times of restraint. But sprinklers, fire extinguishers, and evacuation procedures are no substitute for prevention and common sense.

The next time you are in the other places your children spend their time, look around. Are the emergency exits clearly marked and free from clutter? You should be able to see the evacuation procedures when you enter the building. The teachers, program instructors or staff should inform the children and the parents of the exits and procedures whenever they enroll in a program. Ask your child where they think they are supposed to go if the fire bell rings. Walk the path with your kids if you can. If you make sure they know the right way to get to safety, it's likely that they will be able to do it themselves.

Remember to practice with your child. If you show them that it is important to you, they are going to repeat the drills with you. When you show your love and concern, they will know that you love them and are trying to keep them safe. And, as parents, isn't that the best we can do for our children.