Fire drill with three non walkers

[munch149]

Advice on getting out of my house quickly and safely with three non walkers. Couple of steps out from and back stop me quickly exiting with a buggy. At the mo I leave buggy outside front and take one at a time. (Anything better) but when I'm out the back I have nothing to put them in then. Don't want to buy another double just for fire drill. Is end of garden sufficient distance. Could take one outside at a time then one at a time to end of garden but this will take a while. My daughter crawls so once outside would follow to the end of the garden. Any ideas on improving this ???

[hectors house]

I would try to carry 2 out a time if it was a real fire - maybe practice trying to scoop 2 lo's up inside the house rather than risking the steps with them for a practice. You will have to go back in and get the third - in a practice on a dry day just put them slightly away from the house while you get the third but in a real fire you would have to assess how long you had to get back inside.

I worry about this with nurseries - at the moment the ratio is 3 babies to one adult and that will be increasing to 4 babies per adult - in lots of nurseries the baby room is upstairs - so how could one adult carry 4 babies down a flight of stairs?

I practice my evacuations from different rooms with different children each month - I even pressed the smoke alarm button when a 4 year old was in the loo and 2 babies were in bed just to prove to the 4 year old that we never know when a fire could happen - one occasion when I didn't mind that he didn't stop to wash his hands!

[bunyip]

You should call your local fire and rescue and ask for a premises visit. Most regional fire brigades provide this free of charge as you have domestic premises, but tell them you're a CM and need specific advice on running it for business as well as for a home. They should help you with this evac issue, as well as lots of other tips and general advice. Mine even fitted 3 top-notch smoke alarms free of charge. You can include the fact they visited in your fire plan which impresses Ofsted and parents.

Now for the bad news. TBH, I think the fire and rescue officer will advise against you minding 3 non-walkers: I certainly would. It means you are obliged to break the golden rule of evacuation: never re-enter the premises for anything. Even 2 non-walkers is problematic: it means you have to carry both and have no hands free to close doors behind you to contain a fire.

[MessybutHappy]

In a real emergency I have no doubt that I could pick up three, I've done it with my own!!! I think adrenalin would kick in. It's when I have two upstairs asleep that I worry, they are in two different rooms, so that would be a tough one. However, during the day I'm awake and alert so think I'll see/smell a problem pretty quickly.

As to your question on whether the end of your garden is far enough, well thst rather depends on the length of your garden, so only you can judge...

[MessybutHappy]

Bunyip - thats a fair point, but I'd better serve notice! I have one non walker and two who perfectly well can, and do when it suits, but it didn't always suit!!! It's known as "Bottom plonking" and is the stock response to anything not going their way! We had two sit down refusals at the last practice...apparently lego was more interesting than looking for the fire engine!! A lesson learned, but again, I hope the note of determination in my voice in the event of a real fire will stir them up!!

[mrs robbie williams]

i always have my double buggy set up when childminding more than one lo and i leave it in the porch or front garden so would easily be able to shove 2 in there and grab another and leg it, however i only have one non walker at a time

[mama2three]

i remember reading a similar thread on here , and someone advised laying all 3 on a blanket / rug so you can pull them together to the door. Would that work for you? Or a travel cot with casters / wheels. Throw them all in and off you go.