Fire drills

[mumofone]

I just wondered if you all actually practice fire drills. I had kind of planned to but thinking about it they are a bit of a false situation as in reality I would raise the alarm and we would all get out Asap (so long as children know where to gather). Do you do them and how do you find they work?

[Mouse]

I did them a couple of weeks ago with the 3 & 4 year olds that I have throughout the week.

We talked about how if there was a fire (anywhere) they would shout for an adult and stay away from the fire. We talked about how if they were at my house they would shout for me (if I wan't in the room) and how we would go straight outside without getting shoes on, getting coats or taking anything with us. They know that if there was a fire in the kitchen we would go out the front door, but if there was a fire at the front of the house we would go out the back door. We did practice it and they were excited to go outside in their socks! Now they're asking everyday if we can have a fire practice!

It was useful for me to practice as one of the children freaked out at the thought of going outside with no shoes on. So now I know that in an emergency I would have to carry her. As soon as we got outside on one of the practices, I realised that I didn't have my phone with me - that made me have a think about how I would contact parents if I didn't have my phone.

For younger children (babies) I don't think you need to physically take them outside, but it is good to have a run through yourself and see if you'd come across any problems. Eg. what if you had a child asleep upstairs? Would you go and get them, leaving others downstairs? Or if you had 3 who were reluctant to go outside? Could you carry them all? And what would you do with them when you were all outside. What if an older child was playing alone in the back garden, there was a fire in the kitchen so you couldn't get to the garden, but you had other children to get out the front door?

I know in a real emergency you would just grab everyone and go, but it's always a good idea to have thought about different scenarios and what you could do to minimise any potential problems.

[hectors house]

I have a practise on a different day each month, so I cover different combinations of children, I also practise different scenarios eg: fire in kitchen, so evac out front door or fire in hall, so evac out through patio doors - I have also practised carrying 2 non walkers down stairs, all my children know that we go outside even if it's raining and we don't stop to put on shoes or coats.

[mama2three]

mumofone - mouse and hectors house do pretty much what I do - but for you Id say the main reason to do fire practices is so that your rather difficult 6 year old knows exactly what is expected of her in an emergency situation!

[Evie125]

I'd just like to add that it's a good idea to actually set off your smoke alarm so the children know what it sounds like. Not all children know...... an older child that I care for told the younger ones "you just ignore that noise it happens when mummy cooks"

[lollipop kid]

I'd just like to add that it's a good idea to actually set off your smoke alarm so the children know what it sounds like. Not all children know...... an older child that I care for told the younger ones "you just ignore that noise it happens when mummy cooks"

We do a fire drill every month. I have a calendar of these on my noticeboard, next to my Smoke Alarm Test sheet.

I start the fire drill by pushing the smoke alarm test button (so I am testing it at the same time). The children know the drill - we go straight out the patio doors and walk calmly to our muster point at the back of the garden. I did one today and the two year olds just walked straight there (the patio door was already open), while myself and the assistant carried the little ones. I wear a bumbag at all times, which has my mobile phone in it (with emergency numbers), and my keys, and I keep a grab bag by the patio door (and one near my front door) ready in case of a real fire, which contains spare clothes, first aid items, etc.

I also take a plastic toy phone with me so that I can teach the children how to dial '999' in case of an emergency and what they need to say (this is in case I or their adult is incapacitated and they need to call 999 themselves). I've also taught them the address of the setting and they take turns saying it down the toy phone. We also do a register when we're in the garden. Then I give the all clear and they all walk calmly back in.

After each fire drill, I write who was involved and any comments on the sheet and sign each time (as does my Assistant). I also sign my smoke alarm check sheet as well.

I once had a situation where there was a real fire alarm in a soft play area we were visiting. The children looked at me when they heard the alarm; I said: '999 Fire' and the children all walked to me, held my hands and we walked calmly down the stairs and out of the building. (They knew how to behave because we practice fire drills. They were so good that lots of adults asked me how I'd got them to do this - they were a bit surprised to say the least.)

Hope it helps,

L