New and updated materials for teaching fire safety to a challenging group: preschoolers

Amy Lebeau, of NFPA's Public Education Division, wrote the Outreach Column for the January/February issue of NFPA Journal. Her article, "New + updated materials for teaching fire safety to a challenging group: preschoolers," was inspired by an email a coworker had sent about her three-year old grandson. 

She had written about her grandson coming home from preschool a couple of weeks ago and saying to his mother, "Mom, do you know what to do if the house is on fire?" She said, "Yes, you get out of the house!" He looked at her wide-eyed and said, "No! You get down on the floor and you roll out the door!"

For public safety educators, identifying the age group you want to reach and knowing the learning capabilities of that group are crucial for your success. The little boy’s understanding of what to do in the event of a fire underscores the fact that children five and under need different fire safety messaging and materials than older children.

Amy goes on to discuss some of the challenges associated with teaching fire safety to preschoolers and she highlights some resources that may help. Read the full article now.