Kids Vids LESSON PLAN

 

Fire Safety at Home

Becoming a Junior Firefighter with Fireman Jim

 

45 minutes

 

Objectives

 

  1. To instill the idea that fire prevention is everyoneÕs responsibility including childrenÕs.

 

  1. Learn what to do in case of a fire.

 

  1. Learn how to prevent fires.

 

  1. Teach emergency procedures that children can share with their whole family and learn what to do around their own house to prepare for an emergency.

 

Materials

 

      ¥Fire Safety at Home/

Becoming a Junior Firefighter with Fireman Jim video

      ¥Jr. Firefighter Quiz that can be downloaded at http://www.kidsvids.net/teachers.html

¥Coloring pages that can be downloaded at http://www.kidsvids.net/teachers.html

¥Crayons, colored markers or pencils, plain paper.

 

Procedures

 

1. Play the Fire Safety at Home/

Becoming a Junior Firefighter with Fireman Jim

      Video for your class

 

2. After watching the video, discuss the important points they have learned about fire safety.

 

The United States Fire Administration (USFA) believes that teaching people the basic facts about fire can reduce fire deaths. Below are some simple facts that explain the particular characteristics of fire.

 

á      Fire is Fast! There is little time: In less than 30 seconds a small flame can get completely out of control and turn into a major fire. It only takes minutes for thick black smoke to fill a house. In minutes, a house can be engulfed in flames. Most fires occur in the home when people are asleep. If you wake up to a fire, you won't have time to grab valuables because fire spreads too quickly and the smoke is too thick. There is only time to escape.

á      Fire is Hot! Heat is more threatening than flames: A fire's heat alone can kill. Room temperatures in a fire can be 100 degrees at floor level and rise to 600 degrees at eye level. Inhaling this super hot air will scorch your lungs. This heat can melt clothes to your skin. In five minutes a room can get so hot that everything in it ignites at once (this is called flashover).

á      Fire is Dark! Fire isn't bright, it's pitch black: Fire starts bright, but quickly produces black smoke and complete darkness. If you wake up to a fire you may be blinded, disoriented and unable to find your way around the home you've lived in for years.

á      Fire is DEADLY! 
Smoke and toxic gases kill more people than flames do: Fire uses up the oxygen you need to breathe and produces smoke and poisonous gases that kill. Breathing even small amounts of smoke and toxic gases can make you drowsy, disoriented and short of breath. The odorless, colorless fumes can lull you into a deep sleep before the flames reach your door. You may not wake up in time to escape.

 

Discuss points covered by Fireman Jim:

á      Fire Prevention is Fire Protection.

á      Children should never play with matches and lighters and if they find either around the house they should be given to an adult immediately.

á      Kitchen Safety:

o      Children should not cook without an adult present.

o      Towels and other flammable items should be kept well away from the open flames of a stovetop.

o      Pot handles should be turned in toward the center of the stove so that hot ingredients are not spilled by accidentally knocking the handle.

o      Children should know the location of a fire extinguisher.

á      Candles should never be placed near curtains or walls.

á      Clothes should never be draped over lamps or space heaters.

á      If a child does see an open flame, an adult should be told immediately.

á      Incase of fire:

o      Do not hide.

o      Do not stop for toys or belongings.

o      Take one of your designated escape routes to your rally point and wait there until your whole family arrives.

á      Emergency phone number: 911.

3. Design an escape route: Demonstrate how each student might draw a floor plan by drawing the plan of your classroom on the blackboard, including walls, windows and doors. Have each student draw on a plain piece of paper, in colored pencil or crayon, a floor plan of your school building. Using different colors have them design 2 escape routes out and designate a rally point. You may even want to have them try out their plan by walking them out to their rally point. Be sure they do this in an orderly yet urgent manner (tip: you can also incorporate the schools posted designated escape plan as a visual aid. If your school does not have one, you may want to have your class develop one as part of this project).

4. Stop, Drop and Roll: Every student should have a comprehensive understanding of the Stop Drop and Roll procedure in the unlikely event they do catch fire. Be sure to stress that, should they follow fire prevention rules they may never have to use this technique, but it is important they know it. They can also use this technique if they see someone else on fire.

á      If they do catch fire, stop immediately. Running or movement will fan the flames and make them worse.

á      Drop to your knees and then to the ground.

á      Roll from side to side to smother the flames. Be sure to cover you eyes, nose and mouth with your hands. This will protect you from injuring eyes or breathing in hot air.

á      Once the fire is extinguished, then call for help.

This could be fun: clear a space in your classroom or do this outside or in the gym, have the children practice STOP, DROP and ROLL. This will reinforce the need to smother a fire and teaches the children that they can put out a fire by themselves, which thereby gives them independence in an emergency situation.

 

Homework Assignment

 

We at LGI KidsVids encourage homework that involves the parents and this assignment requires their involvement. Each child should discuss with their parents the fire safety in their home with regard to what they have learned: they should check for matches and lighters left out, and any other danger discussed in the lesson including kitchen safety. They should then make a floor plan of their home and develop a thorough escape plan that includes two routes out of the house and a rally point. As an extra bonus they should draw the locations of fire extinguishers and smoke alarms. According to the U.S. Fire Administration, having a working smoke alarm dramatically increases your chance of surviving a fire.

 

Have the parents sign off on the Junior Firefighter checklist that, along with their child, they have developed a home escape plan, and have discussed fire prevention around the house with their child.

 

Evaluation

 

  1. Download and print the Jr. Firefighter Quiz for each student in your class and administer the test. DonÕt forget to download the teacherÕs key.

 

2.     Download the Junior Firefighter Certificate and print copies for each of your students. There is a colorful certificate suitable for framing or hanging on a refrigerator, or a coloring page version for your younger students.

 

3.     Upon successful completion of the Jr Firefighter quiz and homework assignment including the parent-approval checklist, award the title of Junior Firefighter to your students by giving them each a Junior Firefighter Certificate.