Fire evacuation

[Calgarymom]

:woot:
So I was reading a thread on here a few days ago about getting out of the house if there is a fire or other emergency. I have always thought that being on the main floor with a front and back door we would be ok. I has never considered -30 temp, shoes, coats or more importantly where we would go once we got outside:no: i have given it thought and I decided that today I would practise the plan, we talked about it first and tried getting outside quickly and that went ok (sort of). Then it occurred to me that during nap time some babies are upstairs and I would have to go upstairs to get them :ohmy: now I have the issue of what to do with the bigger ones when I do that. Do I take them with me then bring them all back risking us all getting trapped upstairs and it taking longer. Or get bigger ones out first leaving them outside alone and taking longer to go upstairs to babies???????? Now I feel freaked out:( what do you suggest???

[BlueRose]

If the fire is on the top level of your home:

Calmly tell the big kids to but their boots on. Have them sing a song, loudly so you can hear them when you run up stairs to get the little ones.

When you get back downstairs you can all leave together.

If the fire is on the main level:

Send the big kids out, through there boots out after them. Carefully run out upstairs and get the little ones.


If you have neighbors who are home during the day, you could make a "red flag" or something to put in your window, or lawn, tell the neighbors if they see it then you need help. Make sure it something you can put up really fast. That way if they see it and the kids outside they know to come help.


It really depends on were the fire is and how fast it is speeding.

But practicing is the best way to do it. I live in a apartment and they test the fire alarm once a month. We do a practice every month, if we are in when the alarm goes off. It doesn't matter if its quiet time or not. If the weather is bad we just go to the lobby, but if its nice or I am unsure if its a test or not we go outside. Test or not I take coats and diaper bag with me, just in case the test turns out to not be a test.

[Inspired by Reggio]

In a true fire or emergency they are likely in more imminent danger being INSIDE following you around cause that will slow you down ~ in a fire you literally have 30 seconds to a minute before smoke inhalation can subdue you :(

So in this case it is a choice between the lesser of 'two evils' so to speak inside they are in danger of dying of smoke inhalation in a fire and yes outside they are in danger too if they do not follow the 'rules' and stay put and so forth ... but at least outside there is HOE that they will do as told, that the danger is not immediate and hopefully you are in and out fast enough that they are 'alone' for less than a minute while you run and grab a kid under each arm and run down the stairs!

I will admit that this is another reason why I stagger my enrollment ages so there is always a 'big kid' in my group and only 1 infant for me to have to worry about carrying ~ everyone else is a 'walker' and sleeping on cots so can get themselves out and off if a fire or emergency evacuation occurred during nap. My crew are instructed and trained through our monthly drills to go outside to the backyard gate and stay put in that designated area until either I am there to help them or if I am 'busy' for the firemen/police to arrive ... this way if something happens to ME **knocks on wood** they know to just sit there and wait and hopefully a neighbor would see the smoke and come to help.

But to be honest regardless of the exit it is literally less than a minute for me to get everyone out of the house because the older friends are helpers to the youngsters holding their hand and guiding them out and I have to just grab any 'non walker' I may have ... it takes me longer to PEE than get outside in a fire drill ;)

I have also invested in an Iphone and the kids know how to swipe it open, open the contact and find their 'face' and hit the phone button ~ in a true emergency if they needed HELP any one of them could use the phone to at least get their mom if for some reason we did not get 911 called and if they made a mistake in who they clicked on at least hopefully someone's mom would be on the other end!

[Calgarymom]

Thanks ladies, I think I just got all freaked out thinking of all the bad stuff that could happen when really I like to pretend life is all smiles and laughter!! Lol. When the first baby started to wake up after nap I set of the smoke alarm with a candle. ( i had warned the bigger ones) I quickly explained fire fire move quickly to the front door (the girls screamed comically at the sound of the alarm!). I opened the door loudly but calmly told them grab your boots and wait on the porch. I ran upstairs grabed both babies back down slippers on and it the door the girls (bless them 3 & 4 were on the porch exactly where instructed with boots in hand. I didn't manage coats or diaper bag but we were all out in 40 seconds so not too bad for a first try. I think a little more planing and a lot more practise we should be good!!

[Inspired by Reggio]

Sounds awesome ~ I agree that the monthly or at least regular drills are important because the more drills you do the more 'what ifs' that pop into your head that allow you to keep perfecting your plan!

One of the concerns for me coming to work at home alone was if something happened to ME emergency wise during the day who would know until pick up daily cause while I can teach the eldest in care about 911 and so forth if they were too afraid or not here or what not the babes would not be much help ~ so since I am too cheap to invest in one of those "I have fallen and cannot get up things" I keep my phone on me at all times and have arranged for my spouse to give me a shout a couple times daily to check it out and I have a couple friends who we check in with each other via text and so forth so basically every hour of the day I have a 'check in' from someone so if I did not answer either of them within 5 minutes well than they would know something was up and my spouse would fly home for me ... its not perfect plan but it is at least something and like the other emergency plans I hope I never have to use it!