911 Emergency Plan for Kids
Robert Nickell
In a world full of unknowns it’s important to have an
emergency plan in place, so your family knows exactly what to do in the case of
an emergency. It’s also extremely important to make sure your children
understand what an emergency is, and how they should react in the event of one.
I’ve compiled a list of ideas and reminders that will help you create an
emergency plan in your home.
Communicate: I’m a firm believer that parent-child
communication is essential for success in just about every circumstance, and
communication is definitely key in establishing an emergency plan, too. Start
by talking to your children to learn what they already know about dealing with
emergencies, discuss different types of emergencies and ensure they understand
exactly what constitutes an emergency. Make sure your discussion is
age-appropriate; how you discuss the idea of an emergency will vary from
toddlers to teenagers, of course.
Write Down Numbers: Have emergency numbers written down on
or near the fridge. In our house, we have an emergency binder that has phone
numbers for just about any occasion including: our neighbor’s phone numbers,
grandparent’s phone numbers and more. If your child is old enough to carry
their own cell phone then make sure they have all of the important numbers
programmed in their phones for emergency situations.
Proper Alarms for Early Warning: Make sure you have smoke
alarms and carbon monoxide detectors in place within your home, and test them
every six months to ensure they’re working properly. These early warning
devices could save your life. For information on where to purchase these
devices and how to properly install them in your home visit: http://www.firstalert.com/ or an
alternate credible source.
Practice Drills: As is the case with many things, practice
makes perfect. If your family is faced with an emergency you’ll want to be
prepared, and you’ll want your kids to know what to do. Have several practice
drills within your own home to help determine a plan of action for an emergency
situation. You may feel silly while practicing, but you’ll be grateful for
those drills in the face of an actual emergency.
Look to the Media: There is so much information available to
teach children about emergencies. I suggest looking to kid-friendly books,
television shows, movies, etc. to help solidify the idea of an emergency, get
advice from an additional source and help your child become more familiar with
the whole concept.
No matter how you develop an emergency plan that works best
for your family, the most important thing is that you’re prepared.
Sincerely,
Daddy Nickell