Firefighters work hard every day, training and practicing for real life emergencies. Fires can be a scary thing for anyone, especially kids. For this reason, it is always a good idea to have a family plan in place. Map an escape plan and practice drills in the home.

Here are some fun and helpful websites that we recommend for children.

• Scholastic Fire Safety - Games, fire safety tips, and an easy to use fire escape plan
• Natural Disasters and Avoiding Injuries - Games, printable fun sheets, and helpful tips

Partnerships in Education

Springfield Township Fire Department and the Greater Cincinnati Fire Museum partner to provide fire prevention education with educational media at the Fire Museum, located at 315 West Court Street.

Keeping Kids Safe

• Have a meeting place identified.
• Practice home fire drills.
• Have emergency numbers posted.
• Do regular smoke detector checks.
• Keep it simple. Children learn when the rules are straight forward and easy to remember. If you have pre-schoolers, you may want to introduce just one or two of the rules at a time.
• Use teachable moments. Reinforce your discussions about fire safety whenever the topic arises. For example, when there is a fire in the news or in a book, or when you see a fire, ask your children what they would do if they were in that situation.
• Do it, don't just say it. Children learn by doing and by following your example. Make a game of practicing a fast escape from each room in your house, especially at night when most deadly fires occur.
• Know two ways out. Use a stopwatch and wait until everyone has gathered at your family's designated meeting place before you stop the timer. Work together to set a family record.
• Repeat yourself. Children need to hear and do things over and over before they remember them. Practice your family's escape plan four times every year.
• Don't scare small children with too much responsibility.In a dangerous situation, it's normal for 3-6 year olds to forget things they've learned. Make a game of practicing fire safety, so they become very comfortable with all of the rules. Remind them to never hide, go outside.