Fire Safety is the Focus of Nationwide Children’s Hospital Puppet Show at Huber Ridge

9/21/2012

When a house fire starts, children can become very afraid and confused. They may not understand what is happening or how they should react. Nurses from Nationwide Children’s Hospital volunteered to visit Huber Ridge Elementary School first graders on Friday, September 14, to share some information about what to do. And they brought some special puppets to assist in conveying the message.

They demonstrated, among other things, how children should:

Develop and practice a fire escape plan with their families at least two times a year;
Crawl low to the ground with their mouths covered if there is smoke and to feel for a hot door before exiting a room;
Never hide from firefighters;
Never return to a burning building; and
Stop, drop and roll if their clothing catches on fire.

Nationwide Children’s Hospital reminds adults to install smoke alarms on every level of the house and outside every sleeping area, and to test them monthly. Casualty statistics are sobering. More than 400 children younger than 10 years die in home fires every year.