A New Study Sounds The Alarm On Children And Fire Safety - What Can You Do?

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A successful escape from a house fire depends largely on having a fire escape plan and being able to execute it quickly. A recent study by researchers at the Children's Hospital of Columbus found that the type of smoke alarm in the home could make a difference.

They looked at the responses of 24 children, ages six to 12, to a high-decibel beeping alarm set off while the children were in a deep sleep. Only 58 percent of the children awoke to the noise, and even fewer were able to successfully carryout an escape plan.

Researchers then used a programmable smoke alarm, which plays a recorded message along with the beeping noise. The message, which is recorded by the parents, says something like, "'Morgan, wake up! It's Mommy. There's a fire in the house! You'll be okay, Morgan. Remember what we practiced. Get out of your room, go down the stairs, and meet me outside!'" 

With the voice-recorded message, 96 percent of the children woke up and successfully followed the escape plan.

Firefighters agree that the early stages of a fire are the most dangerous. It is the smoke and accumulating gasses that are the real killers, and early fire detection and response is crucial. Jennifer Lindgren, "Smoke alarms: Not all wake 'deep-sleeping' children, www.wkyc.com (Nov. 13, 2012); Jeff Rossen and Marianne O'Donnell, "Kids can sleep through smoke alarms, experts say," www.today.com (Mar. 22, 2013).

According to the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), fires result in about 3,500 American deaths and more than 18,000 injuries each year. Further statistics show that 86 percent of the deaths were caused by both smoke inhalation and thermal burns—39 percent by smoke inhalation only. The one human factor that contributes most to a fire fatality is the victim being "asleep" when the fire starts. This is not surprising because most residential fires occur between the hours of 11 p.m. and 7 a.m.

Once a fire is detected in the home, there is a short window of time to successfully escape before the smoke becomes overwhelming. Consequently, it is important for parents and caregivers to not only create a plan for escape, but also practice that plan with their children. 

The USFA suggests that when creating an escape plan, keep in mind that children under six years of age cannot escape without your help. Develop two exits from every room if feasible, with a window as a possible secondary escape. 

Make sure that windows can be opened, and screens removed easily. If security bars are in place, verify that they have a quick release device and can be opened without difficulty. Instruct children to leave the home immediately and not worry about what to take with them. Also, once outside of the home, never re-enter for any reason. 

Here are some more suggestions from the USFA to improve fire safety in your home:

• Teach children about the nature of fire and its dangers. It is fast, hot, and deadly.
• Take the mystery out of fire play by helping them understand that it is a tool, not a toy.
• Keep matches and lighters in a secured place, and instruct children to tell you immediately if they find them.
• Install smoke detectors on every level of your home.
• Practice your fire escape plan on a regular basis to increase the chance that your kids will carry it out successfully even if they are not quite awake.
• Show children how to crawl low on the floor to exit a house that has filled with smoke.

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