The safety of your child and all children in our school and the safety of the school staff is essential to us.
To maintain a safe environment for our children to study and learn, we must educate them about fire safety and practise our emergency and crisis response plans by having drills designed to exercise our procedures.
We have spoken with the children during the assembly today about fire safety and would appreciate it if you could follow up at home by sharing the information below.
The Fire Drill
The school will conduct a “fire drill” each half term that the school is in session. We want each student to understand and be aware of the importance of this drill and not be afraid when the fire alarm is sounded. By practising they will know what to do and how to do it.
Fire and children
Fire is one of the most common causes of accidental injury and death among children. They are naturally drawn to the light of the fire, but this can turn into a dangerous fascination without proper guidance. The following tips will help keep your children out of harm’s way.
Talking to your children about fire
Give children under five clear instructions of what they should and shouldn’t do. With older children, it’s better also to explain why. You will probably need to talk about fire safety more than once to make sure they remember and understand what you have taught them.
Tell them:
– to tell a grown-up if they see matches or lighters lying around;
– never to play with matches, lighters or lighted candles;
– never to play or leave toys close to a fire or heater;
– not to put things on top of heaters or lights;
– not to pull on electric cables or fiddle with electrical appliances or sockets;
– never to switch on the cooker or put anything on top of it;
– never to touch any saucepans on the cooker.
Fire instructions for children
It’s important to talk through with children what to do if there’s a fire – don’t avoid it for fear of frightening them. Children need to know how to react, as there may not be an adult around to tell them what to do if a fire happens.
Here are the basic instructions to give to your children:
– if they see smoke or flames, they should tell someone straight away – a grown-up if possible
get out of the building as soon as possible;
– never go back into the building for anything
never hide in a cupboard or under a bed – get out of the house and call for help straight away;
– find a phone and call 112, and ask for the Fire Emergency – give the address of the fire slowly and calmly (they may need to go to the neighbours to find a phone);
– make sure that children know their address so they can raise the alarm.
Know your escape route
Plan an escape route and make sure that everyone in the house is familiar with it, including children, childminders and babysitters. Keep all exits clear and practise the escape plan with children.
Make your home safe for children
Here are some measures you can take in your home to make sure your children stay safe:
– please don’t leave children on their own in a room where there’s a fire risk;
– keep matches, lighters and candles in a place where children can’t see or reach them – and put child locks on cupboards;
– put a child-proof fireguard in front of an open fire or heater;
– don’t let children play or leave toys near a fire or heater;
– keep portable heaters in a safe place where they can’t be knocked over when they are being used or stored;
– never leave children alone in the kitchen when you’re cooking and never let them play near the cooker
– make sure electrical appliances are switched off when they are not being used.
Watch the story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvuHfFq6gI4
I appreciate your support and wish you all a safe and relaxing weekend.
