The Hartford’s Junior Fire Marshal® Program www.thehartford.com/jfm BE FIRE SAFE EDUCATORS’ GUIDE Teaching Fire Safety and Prevention TEACHING FIRE SAFETY: Introduction to the Educators’ Guide and the Junior Fire Marshal Program® Thank you for your commitment to teaching fire safety to our nation’s children. Education plays an important role in reducing the number of fire-related injuries and deaths. The Hartford’s Junior Fire Marshal program empowers children by giving them the tools they need to take an active role in reducing risk in their homes and communities. This guide is organized into two sections. The first, Fire Safety: Causes and Prevention, identifies common fire risks, such as smoking and cooking, and offers strategies for reducing those risks. The second section, Fire Safety: Preparing for and Reacting to an Emergency, provides children with information on what to do if they are confronted by a hazardous situation. Each lesson includes an objective, supporting information and one or two activities. The program is designed for children in kindergarten through 3rd grade. For nearly 200 years, The Hartford has helped families remain safe and secure. It is for this reason that the Junior Fire Marshal Program was created in 1947 to teach children the basics of personal fire safety and give families the information they need to be prepared in a fire emergency. The program helps educators and parents share fire safety and prevention tips with children in an easy, engaging way. You can also find additional resources at www.thehartford.com/jfm BE FIRE SAFE EDUCATORS’ GUIDE TABLE OF CONTENTS I. Introduction Teaching Fire Safety to Children . 3 II. Fire Safety: Causes and Prevention Fire and burn prevention means that action is taken to stop the fire or injury from occurring in the first place. Knowledge is power when it comes to prevention! Smoke Alarms . 5 Candles . 6 Matches & Lighters . 7 Cooking . 8 Smoking . 9 Portable Space Heaters . 10 III. Fire Safety: Preparing for and Reacting to an Emergency Even with the best prevention, fires can still occur. Knowing what to do when a fire breaks out is the best defense. Family Escape Plan . 12 Two Ways Out . 13 If Your Clothes Catch on Fire . 14 If Your Room or House is on Fire . 15 If You Can’t Get Out . 16 1 BE FIRE SAFE EDUCATORS’ GUIDE I. Introduction II. Fire Safety: Causes & Prevention III. Fire Safety: Preparing for & Reacting to an Emergency 2 BE FIRE SAFE EDUCATORS’ GUIDE I. INTRODUCTION Teaching Fire Safety to Children The purpose of the Junior Fire Marshal program is to teach children that the best firefighter is one who prevents a fire from occurring. If a fire does occur, however, they must know to respond quickly and in a way that will minimize their chance of being harmed. Some Facts to Introduce Fire Safety Some Facts for Teachers to Note About to Children Fire Safety • Fires need three things to get started and burn: • Children “playing” with fire start 40,000 home Oxygen, fuel and a heat source to ignite the fuel. fires every year.1 • Many children know that fire is hot and can hurt • Every 20 seconds a fire department responds them. But smoke can be equally harmful. Breathing to a fire somewhere in the U.S.1 smoke makes people very sick and can even kill them. • Four out of five U.S. fire fatalities in 2005 occurred • Smoke from a fire spreads quickly and can be in homes.1 extremely hazardous. Most people harmed in fires suffer from injuries related to the smoke or toxic 1 National Fire Protection Association, Fast Facts About Fire, gases they inhale, rather than from being burned Updated November 2006 by the fire itself. 3 BE FIRE SAFE EDUCATORS’ GUIDE I. Introduction II. Fire Safety: Causes & Prevention III. Fire Safety: Preparing for & Reacting to an Emergency 4 BE FIRE SAFE EDUCATORS’ GUIDE II. FIRE SAFETY: CAUSES & PREVENTION Smoke Alarms Objective: Children will learn the importance of working smoke alarms. Supporting Information • A smoke alarm is one of the most effective ways to reduce fire related injuries. Activities • About 20 percent, or one out of five homes, Activity #1 do not have a working smoke alarm in place.1 Bring in a new battery powered smoke alarm. In an • Most fatal fires occur in homes without a working open area like the gymnasium or a playground, smoke alarm. demonstrate what the alarm sounds like by pushing the test button. • A smoke alarm “sniffs” for smoke and sounds an alarm. Activity #2 Select a day for children to check on the number and • Every house and apartment must have at least location of fire alarms in their home. For homework, one smoke alarm. ask each child to write down the results in their • There should be an alarm on every level of the notebook, and have a parent or guardian verify the home especially outside the bedrooms.2 information with their signature. • Adults should test the smoke alarms each month.2 • Smoke alarm batteries must be replaced on a regular basis. They should never be removed for any purpose except replacement.2 1 The Public/Private Fire Safety Council, White Paper, 2006 2 U.S Fire Administration Quick Response Program, Smoke Alarms Fact Sheet, (undated) 5 BE FIRE SAFE EDUCATORS’ GUIDE II. FIRE SAFETY: CAUSES & PREVENTION Candles Objective: Children will learn that a candle flame and melted candle wax is hot and will burn them; that a candle can ignite a fire if it comes into contact with a curtain, papers or any other common household item; and that candles should never be left unattended. Supporting Information Activities • Most candle fires occur on Christmas Day, followed Activity #1 by Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day.1 Bring in a candle to the classroom. • Only adults should light, carry and extinguish Do not light it. candles, never children. • Using a piece of • Candles should never be left unattended. If an adult lightweight cloth to is leaving the room, he or she should extinguish simulate a curtain, hold the candle. it near the candle (but not • Candles should never be placed near a window with over it). Have a group of children then blow on the curtains. A breeze could blow the curtains into the cloth to move it over the candle to simulate the wind candle's flame causing them to catch on fire. blowing a curtain over a candle. • The melted wax in a candle is hot and will cause • Explain how a lit candle could catch the curtain burns. Never touch or play with the melted wax. on fire. • Candles can be knocked over by a pet or a person. Activity #2 They should always be placed out of reach of Have the children make paper “flames” out of children and animals. construction paper and then, using tape, have them put them on objects in the room that might easily • Candles should always be placed in very stable be ignited by a candle. containers. 1 National Fire Protection Association, Fact Sheets, Candles 6 BE FIRE SAFE EDUCATORS’ GUIDE II. FIRE SAFETY: CAUSES & PREVENTION Matches & Lighters Objective: Many children are curious about fire. Teaching them that matches and lighters are tools for adult use only can help to minimize their interest in playing with these dangerous items. Supporting Information Activities • Children “playing” with fire start 40,000 home fires Activity #1 every year.1 Have children identify on the • Matches and lighters are tools for adults to use, worksheet which not toys for children to play with. objects are safe • Children should tell an adult if they find matches or and which are not. a lighter. Ask children to draw an X through unsafe objects and circle safe objects. • If a child sees another child playing with matches (JFM Activity Sheet #2) or a lighter, he or she should immediately walk away and tell an adult. Activity #2 Have children role-play what they would do if they • If a child starts a fire, he or she should immediately saw a child playing with matches. Model the correct tell someone. Explain that getting in trouble is a lot behavior. better than burning down your home and injuring other people. 1 National Fire Protection Association, Fast Facts About Fire, Updated November 2006 7 BE FIRE SAFE EDUCATORS’ GUIDE II. FIRE SAFETY: CAUSES & PREVENTION Cooking Objective: Students will learn about the many ways stoves, cooking and hot foods can be hazardous. They will learn how to recognize hazards and minimize risks. Supporting Information Activities • Unattended cooking is the leading cause of home Activity #1 cooking fires.1 Have the children cut out several large (about 10”) circles using red paper to simulate stove-top burners. • All pot handles should be turned toward the center Using several pots, set them on a desk with the of the stove to ensure they aren’t knocked off by handles turned out. On another desk, have them set accident. up with the handles turned in. Ask the children which • Objects left on the stove, such as grocery bags or ones are safe and which ones are not, and why. papers, can be set on fire by a hot burner. Do not let them turn the handles in themselves but • A stove can burn children; leave the cooking have them ask an adult to do it. to the adults. • Children should never carry hot food or liquids. Activity #2 Leave one desk set up as a “stove” for the day. Mark a Danger Zone of approximately 3 feet around the desks using masking tape on the floor.