Households with children are at a large risk should a fire occur, especially if young children are not aware of their home’s fire safety plan and what it means when their interconnected smoke alarm activates. Therefore, having a rehearsed plan in place is one of the most effective ways of ensuring that all children and family members know what to do in the heat of an emergency. This is particularly crucial if guardians can’t communicate with them in times of danger.
However, having a fire-safety plan isn’t just about designating a meeting point to assemble toward should a fire occur. Instead, it involves planning out the whole situation as though it were happening to guarantee that children know what to do. This includes understanding what the sound of an interconnected smoke alarm means and how they can avoid getting trapped or burned.
The following blog dictates our best-practice tips for integrating your Queensland smoke alarms into your fire-evacuation plan.
How can Interconnected Smoke Alarms be explained to children?
Young children, especially those under eight, may not always understand the severity of fires. Therefore, they must have their smoke alarm system explained to them in an easy-to-understand way. It is also good to highlight the benefits of these smoke alarms as being life-saving and good for the home. This can help children form a positive relationship with your Queensland Smoke Alarms.
Rather than just telling them the sound the alarms make, it’s also important to demonstrate it to them. As smoke alarms have a high-pitched and screechy noise, this can help them associate what the sound is. This is a crucial step in homes where children may have sensory issues, as it can help them quickly understand the danger of the situation. This can also prevent them from hiding in a perceived ‘safe’ place in the home to get away from the somewhat scary sound.
Once they understand the benefits of an Interconnected Smoke Alarm, a fire evacuation plan is necessary
Most children learn best through demonstration and repetition. Showing them the fire safety plan that you have proposed and then acting it out is a great way to guarantee they know what to do in an accident. Photoelectric Smoke Alarms Australia recommends you act this out with the smoke alarm sounding in test mode. While this may be temporarily disturbing or slightly uncomfortable due to the noise, it will help your children associate the sound with specific actions, such as putting down their belongings and heading for the nearest exit.
Integrating this smoke detector into your evacuation plan will also help them understand the entire process from start to finish. As children may be prone to panic during emergencies, this can help them comprehend how to act in stressful situations. To ensure they’re as diligent as possible during the process, you must walk them through the evacuation plan, but you also get them to attempt evacuating on their own from different rooms, sometimes without notice. This will help them remember to act quickly when their Queensland smoke detectors sound, and it can also be a good chance to test if your smoke alarms are working effectively.
Always plan for the worst to ensure your children remain safe during a fire
Planning for every avenue during a fire-evacuation plan is the number one way to maximise the chances that your family remains safe. As well as integrating your interconnected smoke alarms into your home, you must plan for other circumstances. This include:
- Teaching your children who to call in the event of a fire, especially if you can’t get to the phone
- Reminding children that saving personal belongings such as books, gaming consoles, and phones, is not worth the risk of losing life
- Telling them how to stop drop, and roll, should their clothing catch on fire
It is also important that children are educated on the causes of fires. This includes but isn’t limited to leaving toys in front of heaters, cooking accidents and using candles without supervision.
Have the best Interconnected Smoke Alarms installed to protect your family
An interconnected smoke alarm is designed to sound throughout the entire house or property (i.e. when one detects smoke, they will all activate). For homes with granny flats or good soundproofing, this can guarantee that all members of a household are aware of a fire as soon as possible. On top of a fire evacuation plan, having these Queensland smoke alarms installed throughout your home can guarantee that nobody is left behind or unaware that their home is no longer safe.
At Photoelectric Smoke Alarms Australia, we have a range of smoke alarms available, including 240v hardwired and wireless battery-operated systems to suit your home. If you need new smoke detectors or want to guarantee the safety and security of your home, you can browse our range online or speak to one of our experts at anytime – we love talking smoke alarms!
