Fire escape ladder ??

**nb73** · 03-08-2010, 11:51 AM

Hello all, I'm quite new and need advice! I have been reading various bits especially risk assessments, if I use bedrooms upstairs for mindees to sleep in, do you need a fire escape ladder upstairs?! This may seem like a silly/odd question, but it was something I came across and don't know the answer, espcially when I start childminding and need to do fire drills etc!
Many thanks

**Pauline** · 03-08-2010, 12:12 PM

Originally Posted by nicbeaven

Hello all, I'm quite new and need advice! I have been reading various bits especially risk assessments, if I use bedrooms upstairs for mindees to sleep in, do you need a fire escape ladder upstairs?! This may seem like a silly/odd question, but it was something I came across and don't know the answer, espcially when I start childminding and need to do fire drills etc!
Many thanks

It isn't a silly question at all.

No you don't have to have one but what you need to do is show how you would get the children out in an emergency, you could do this with regular fire practices and logging your results in your risk assessments - e.g. what works, what didn't work, how you managed with babies, whether it was easy with toddlers etc.

**huggableshelly** · 03-08-2010, 12:25 PM

a new local cm asked me the same question.

my front room was registered, fire exit would have been down the stairs if able or out of the window onto the porch roof then down to the ground or out of the back bedroom window onto the kitchen roof. ... no need to practice these in a fire drill practice though as these are extreme escapes and not something I have ever put to the test. I just presume I'll not fall through the roofing!

**rickysmiths** · 03-08-2010, 12:28 PM

How about getting the Fire Brigade to do a fire check on your house? They will then give you advise on what to do for your house.

I was told that if the fire stopped me getting downstairs to stay in one room together, stuff pillows or clothes along the bottom of the door and they would get to us fast enough that it would be their problem to get us out safely. Their veiw was that it would be stupid for me to try and get out through upstairs windows with several children.

They also said our doors were very good and would withstand fire for up to two hours. They were in the house when we bought it, just solid wood.

**huggableshelly** · 03-08-2010, 12:32 PM

[QUOTE=rickysmiths;756550]How about getting the Fire Brigade to do a fire check on your house? They will then give you advise on what to do for your house.
QUOTE]

I did that, was hoping to gain some eye candy but got grumpy old men, a female and one who should have still been wearing nappies!

hmm when you book ask for the good lookers hee hee

**rickysmiths** · 03-08-2010, 01:19 PM

[QUOTE=huggableshelly;756552]

Originally Posted by rickysmiths

How about getting the Fire Brigade to do a fire check on your house? They will then give you advise on what to do for your house.
QUOTE]

I did that, was hoping to gain some eye candy but got grumpy old men, a female and one who should have still been wearing nappies!

hmm when you book ask for the good lookers hee hee

Shame! I had them do a check two years ago, we have a big enough drive that they pulled up infront of the house. A cm friend came round with her one charge so she could keep an eye on mine. Would you believe one of the hunky Firemen was a Registered Childminder, worked with his wife! We had a great time they got the hoses out, all the children went on the Tender.

We are having an extention built and they came out early one pm, here all on my own. We wanted to check the correct places to put the new alarms as they are all being hard wired and we have to have a stream Detector in the kitchen. They were hunky as well.

You obviously live in the wrong part of Hertfordshire.

Did I miss something? When did you give up minding?

**caz3007** · 03-08-2010, 01:24 PM

As I can see the fire Station from my house, I hope they would arrive quickly to my house. Especially as at least one fireman has to run past my house to get to the fire station, he would be able to help me out with the mindies before the others even got here

You soon learn round here, if the fire station alarm is going off and you hear a beeping coming up the road, you dive in the bushes or you get trampled in the stampede....not that I would complain

We also have an ambulance man in the next close, which is great cos policemen on motorbikes often call at his house and usually let the mindies sit on the motorbike if they arent busy.

**Pedagog** · 03-08-2010, 02:10 PM

If you phone the local fire service for a "Free Home Fire Safety" check they will also fit smoke alarms Free. Do not phone a schildminder or they may traet you as a business, however once you have the firefighters ion your house tell them you are a childminder (thats hubby's advice, he is a watch manager for local fire service)