Be Prepared for Fire
Be prepared for fire
Download 
Be Prepared for Fire (328.29 kb)
Preparedness and prevention are the keys to a safe living environment. Every household and centre should have a fire escape plan. At work, occupational health and safety legislation makes it compulsory for all businesses and organisations to have fire escape plans in place and for these to be tested on a regular basis, but in the home we rely on families to do this for themselves.
Make sure members of the household know:
• How to crawl low in smoke
• Different ways to leave each room and the house
• How to unlock doors and windows
• How to call the fire brigade – 000
• Where to meet outside (i.e. the letter box)
• Practice is the key – should be done on a monthly basis
Be prepared for fire
• Only working smoke alarms save lives. Keep them dust-free and change the batteries at the end of day light savings
• Test your smoke alarm weekly and clean monthly
• Be aware that children under the age of five don’t always hear smoke alarms
• Keep a fire blanket and/or fire extinguisher in the kitchen and know how to use it / them
• Placement of fire blankets and fire extinguishers should be between where the fire is likely to occur in the kitchen and the exit
• Install an electrical safety switch – to be installed by a registered electrician
• Make a home fire escape plan with your family members and practise it regularly
The good news is...
As a parent or caregiver, you can make a young child’s environment safer by being alert to the dangers of burns, scalds and fire, and by taking action to prevent them. Children will copy you as their role model, so let them see you taking safety action – such as putting a screen in front of the open fire.
But remember...children under five will not necessarily flee from a fire or understand what to do in an emergency. Parents and carers need to be aware of this when developing a home fire escape plan.