Fire drills and babies

[allinatiz]

Hi all.

I have a quick question about your fire drills. I currently mind 1 child full time who is 18 months, my own child is 14 months. They both walk well and my mindee has her own slippers at my house. We had a practise fire drill the other day whilst I was also minding 3 others who are 4, 8 and 10.

Question number one is what do you do with your babies on your fire drill? I carried both babies out and the others went out in their socks (with much laughing and noise :D) and it was all well and good getting them all out of the house like that but I was thinking in reality what would I do with the young ones once we were out there, my arms weren't built for carrying 2 babies for a long time and how do I work the phone? With my 3rd arm?! I am lucky as we get on very well with our neighbours and someone is always in as they work shifts and have older children so we could temporarily shelter there if needed.

Question number two is if any of you have 3 young ones, maybe not so steady on their feet, how do you get them out safely?

Thank you!

[sarah707]

Could you work your fire escape plan so you go out via a buggy? Do you keep a buggy at both ends of your house?

I am lucky to have a car port to the side of the house which provides a bit of shelter in case of rain, but you have to consider where to stand if it's bucketing as well... :D

[crazybones]

That's a good idea about the buggy Sarah. Mine is right by the front door. Not a problem with the back door as they cant escape anywhere out there but am going to amend something now. :D

Annie x

[Twinkles]

Do you think it would be safe to put them all in the car and move the car over the road??

[Mollymop]

Maybe you have neighbours that might be in, if you have 2 little ones and need to use a phone, maybe you could ask a neighbour for help to hold the little ones, etc.

[LeeAnn]

My MIL runs the local playgroup and often brings home catalogues etc. Once while browsing one, I found a portable cot for fire drills, it was like a little playpen with 4 seperate compartments and it was on wheels so you could quickly remove babies from the building. Maybe a bit too much for childminding but sort of similar to the buggy idea I would think.

I think the car idea may work so long as you stayed in the car with them also. depending on how far from the house your car was


x x x x

[SonnysMummy]

What would you do if you were downstairs and babies were sleeping upstairs? What if fire was blocking the stairs and you had other children with you downstairs? Just thinking of all possibilities to write in my escape plan???

Kelly:)

[Tily Bud]

I dont use upstairs for this reason, i prefer us to all be on the same floor.

I think so long as you put something in your fire drill policy to show that you have thought about the implications of moving the babies it will be fine - the chances of you having a fire whilst minding are very very low xx

[crazybones]

I dont use upstairs either, except bathroom if downstairs unavailable.

[manjay]

I too don't use upstairs for babies after the fire officer advised you should get out of the house and leave anyone upstairs to be rescued by them:panic:

amanda xx

[Pipsqueak]

If you contact your local fire safety team at the fire station they should be able to come out and advise you for your setting.

[SonnysMummy]

Do you arrange for the fire safety officers to come out before or after you are registered? I don't know what to do about the babies sleeping. They will be alot more comfortable upstairs but now i'm stressing about how i'd get to them if there was a fire:panic:

Kelly:)

[SonnysMummy]

How many of you do use upstairs for sleeping babies?

Kelly:)

[childminder54]

yes I use upstairs for babies

veronicaxxx

[crazybones]

Not me. Upstairs is only used for toilet in emergency as we have a downstairs one and for my own children to escape the madness with their own toys. :D

[SonnysMummy]

Veronica...what do you say in your fire procedure about what you would do if babies were sleeping upstairs in the event of a fire.

Kelly:)

[SonnysMummy]

I think i am going to use upstairs for sleeping children and babies so any help with what i should write in my escape plan would be great. I don't know what i would do if i had children downstairs with me and others sleeping upstairs!!! But i think children would sleep better upstairs. I won't have a playroom and the other rooms will need to be used by other children. They would disturb other children that were sleeping.

Kelly:)

[miffy]

I live in a bungalow so don't have this problem but I wouldn't sleep baby upstairs because you might not be able to evacuate it safely if there was a fire.

Pre-ofsted our LA did not allow us to sleep babies upstairs anyway

miffy xx

[SonnysMummy]

I don't know where they could sleep downstairs though. I have a lounge, dining room, kitchen and a very old conservatory type extension(it's not really a conservatory, it's cold in there as has no heating; planning on storing some toys in there but not really playing in there and wouldn't be suitable for children to sleep in). The lounge will be where other children are playing. The only room would be the dining room but i can't see children being comfortable on mats on the floor in there.
Also how do you go about it when there are afew children needing a nap? Surely if they're all in the same room they keep each other awake. Plus i have my son in a routine where i put him for a nap in his buggy and i walk out of the room. He doesn't need me to rock him or stay with him or anything and just goes straight off to sleep...i'm very lucky but then again i've made a concious effort to get into that routine...i wouldn't want to spoil it...and he uses the dining room but like i said,in his buggy.
I don't know what i'm going to do really.

Kelly:)

[Tatia]

I use upstairs for sleeping babies. I feel it's unfair on toddlers to have to keep it down cos there's a baby asleep in the lounge. OFSTED wouldn't register rooms if they didn't allow you to use them. I've just tried to be sensible when risk assessing the situation, like using a baby monitor to listen constantly as well as physically checking every 15 or 20 minutes; keep the stairs free from clutter; use stair gate at top of steps in case child wakes up; regularly check smoke detectors so there's an early warning system in place; have a working phone upstairs, that sort of thing.

I'm actually looking forward to my fire safety and risk assesment course because I want some solid advice about what to do if ever we, as a family, became trapped upstairs in case of fire. This would obviously impact my escape plan for mindees, too.

[sarah707]

I'm actually looking forward to my fire safety and risk assesment course because I want some solid advice about what to do if ever we, as a family, became trapped upstairs in case of fire. This would obviously impact my escape plan for mindees, too.

When my fire guys came round, their advice was if I was upstairs then I should wait upstairs for them to come and rescue me...

But then I don't have the added complication of children downstairs as well or someone upstairs using the loo... not sure what the wisdom would be in this situation?

[breezy]

Hi, ofsted told me as well as an escape plan I need a "safe" house to go to because my house would be unusable so myself and childminder friend nominate each other!
we were given same advice that anyone upstairs cut off by fire should wait to be rescued, but with smoke alarms i think we'd get enough warning for it not to get that far, just regularly test batteries.
i also keep a fire extinguisher at top and bottom of stairs and of course the blanket in the kitchen, but make sure you know how to use them, or they're as good as useless!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
if the worse came to the worse and fire happens i'm sure even the horriblist of neighbours would help!
for individual concerns though, get the firemen out! if nothing else it's a visit from aman in uniform (sorry i meant "people who help us!!!)

[donnahay0]

I happen to have a fireman friend who is doing a course on fire safety inspections. I have already asked if he would come and do check in my home so when he gets a free slot I will discuss this with him.

I have no option other than to put babies to sleep upstairs as my house doen't have any spare rooms and the children use all of downstairs.

Will let you know any suggestions once he has been over.

[lilliuspillius]

i also use upstairs for the babies sleeping, and my children can have some privacy.