FAMILY READY · CALM PLANS
What should each child know about the safest way to leave our home during a fire?
When planning for fire, keep instructions simple, concrete, and rehearsed. What a preschooler needs to know is different from what a school-age child can manage. This article focuses on the key behaviours that reduce confusion: recognising the sound of a smoke alarm, knowing one or two safe exits, getting low if there’s smoke, and moving to a predetermined meeting place. It includes age-flexible steps, safe practice routines, and advice on accessibility and special needs. Always prioritise official guidance from your local fire authority during an actual incident and consult Ready.gov or the Red Cross for complementary resources.
Core safety behaviours every child can learn
Teach a small number of consistent actions rather than many rules. The basics to teach are: when the smoke alarm sounds, get out quickly; don’t stop for toys or pets; use the nearest safe exit; if smoke is present, go low and cover mouth and nose with a cloth if possible; once outside, go to the family meeting place and never re-enter the building.
Keep language concrete. Use short commands a child can remember: “Alarm means go outside now,” “Stay low, cover your nose,” and “Meet at our tree.” Avoid complex rationale that can be confusing in a high-stress moment.
Age-flexible, low-cost steps to teach and practise
Toddlers (2–4 years): Start with short, playful routines. When testing a smoke alarm, say “alarm” in a calm voice and calmly lead the child to the exit and out to the meeting place while praising them. Use doll or stuffed-animal drills to model the behaviour. Keep practice sessions under five minutes.
Preschool and early elementary (4–7 years): Introduce the idea of two exits from each room. Walk the house and point out doors and windows that can be used as exits, explaining which ones are safe to open. Practice using a dry, calm drill: set a timer to simulate the sound of an alarm and walk through the exit sequence to the meeting spot.
School-age children (8–14 years): Teach the importance of not hiding and of notifying an adult if they can. Discuss how to check a door for heat with the back of the hand, and practice leaving quickly without stopping for toys. Include simple navigation practice in different lighting conditions and rehearse what to do if a primary exit is blocked.
Practising without frightening children
Use gradual exposure. Start with very low-intensity activities — looking at exits, pointing to the meeting place — before introducing the actual sound of an alarm. If you do practice an alarm sound, prepare the child briefly: “We’re just practising. The alarm will beep; we will get out together.” Allow the child to opt out of louder drills and offer a quieter practice for young or anxious children.
Reassure and debrief. After drills, praise the child’s actions and briefly discuss what went well. Keep language factual and short. If a child shows persistent fear, pause drills and speak with their regular caregiver or a professional who knows their history; adapt drills to the child’s comfort level.