Stop, Drop, and Roll: Keeping Safe from Fire
Fire trucks are loud for a reason! Firefighters race to help because fire can spread across a whole room in less than 2 minutes. The good news: a few simple rules can keep you and your family safe.
What You'll Learn
- What to do if your clothes ever catch fire - Why smoke detectors beep and what the beep means - How to crawl low under smoke - Your family's escape plan and meeting spot
Stop, Drop, and Roll
If your clothes ever catch fire, never run — running only feeds the fire more air. Instead: STOP right where you are, DROP to the ground, and ROLL back and forth to smother the flames. Practicing this now means your body will remember what to do even if you feel scared.
Smoke Detectors: Your Home's Alarm Clock for Danger
A smoke detector is a small device on the ceiling that sniffs the air for smoke. When it senses smoke, it lets out a loud beep to wake everyone up, even from a deep sleep. Firefighters recommend testing them once a month and changing the battery once a year.
Get Low and Go
Smoke rises and collects near the ceiling first, but the air near the floor stays clearer longer. That's why firefighters teach kids to crawl on hands and knees under smoke instead of walking, so you can breathe easier air and see the way out.
If there's a fire, never hide under a bed or in a closet. Firefighters need to find you fast — go straight to your family's meeting spot outside.
What should you do first if your clothes catch fire?
Why do firefighters teach kids to crawl low during a fire?
Draw Your Family's Escape Map
With a grown-up, draw a simple map of your home showing two ways out of each room and a meeting spot outside (like a mailbox or a tree). Practice walking the escape route together, then hang the map somewhere everyone can see it.
A working smoke detector cuts the chance of dying in a home fire by more than half — testing the button once a month takes only a few seconds.
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