Fire Safety Routine

threenorns

Well-Known Member
i am pretty sure he's got everything he needs for me to put together a demonstration for the local school:

If you're in a room with the door closed when the fire breaks out, you need to:

Check to see if there's heat or smoke coming in the cracks around the door. (You're checking to see if there's fire on the other side.) [Dandy sniffs around the bottom and cracks of the door]
If you see smoke coming under the door — don't open the door! [sneezes and backs away]
If you don't see smoke — touch the door. If the door is hot or very warm — don't open the door! [Dandy jumps up and rests his paws on the door, then backs away from it - actually, i should teach him to shake his head "no" on command]
If you don't see smoke — and the door is not hot — then use your fingers to lightly touch the doorknob. If the doorknob is hot or very warm — don't open the door! [get dandy to mouth the door handle, then back away "no"]
If the doorknob feels cool, and you can't see any smoke around the door, you can open the door very carefully and slowly. When you open the door, if you feel a burst of heat, or smoke pours into the room, quickly shut the door and make sure it is really closed. [have the door set so he can open it by pulling on a sock or nudging open with his nose, then jump and slam the door shut, back away]

If there's no smoke or heat when you open the door, go toward your escape route exit.

Stay Low
If you can see smoke in the house, stay low to the ground as you make your way to the exit. In a fire, smoke and poisonous air hurt more people than the actual flames do. You'll breathe less smoke if you stay close to the ground. Smoke naturally rises, so if there is smoke while you're using your escape route, staying low means you can crawl under most of it. You can drop to the floor and crawl on your hands and knees below the smoke. [have dandy crawl across the floor]

Exiting through a door that leads outside should be your first choice as an escape route, but also ask your parents about windows and if they would be possible escape routes. Even windows on a higher floor could be safe escape routes if you had help, like from a firefighter or another adult. [have him jump up and look out the window, then bark as if he sees someone]

It's normal to worry about your pets or a favorite toy, but if there is a fire, you have to leave them behind. The most important thing is that you get out safely. It's also important to know that you shouldn't stay in the house any longer than you must — not even to call 911. Someone else can make that call from outside. [have him start back for his toy, then "leave it" and go back to the window]

Once you're out, do not go back in for anything — even pets. [it would be cool if i could get dandy to act all indignant to this one] You can tell the fire rescue people about any pets that were left behind and they may be able to help.

What if You Can't Get Out Right Away?
If you can't get out fast, because fire or smoke is blocking an escape route, you'll want to yell for help. You can do this from an open window or call 911 if you have a phone with you.

Even if you're scared, never hide under the bed or in a closet. Then, firefighters will have a hard time finding you. Know that firefighters or other adults will be looking for you to help you out safely. The sooner they find you, the sooner you both can get out. [have dandy start to crawl under a desk, then back out again]

In the meanwhile, keep heat and smoke from getting through the door by blocking the cracks around the door with sheets, blankets, and/or clothing. [oh -okay, need to teach dandy to drag a towel to the bottom of the door] If there is a window in the room that is not possible to escape from, open it wide and stand in front of it. If you can grab a piece of clothing or a towel, place it over your mouth to keep from breathing in the smoke. This works even better if you wet the cloth first. [oh, it would be *hilarious* to have dandy pretend to be about to cock his leg over the facecloth before i say "no! not necessary! thank you!" would certainly get the kids' attention!]

If Your Clothes Catch Fire
A person's clothes could catch fire during a fire or by accident, like if you step too close to a candle. If this happens, don't run! Instead, stop, drop to the ground, cover your face with your hands, and roll. This will cut off the air and put out the flames. An easy way to remember this is: Stop, Drop, and Roll! [have him start running then "stop!", "drop!" and cover his eyes with his paws, then "roll!"; then do it again so he's rolling himself up in a blanket - need to teach this one, too]
 
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