Imagine being on a Disneyland vacation.  You have planned, waited and anticipated.  After a whirlwind first day in the Magical Kingdom, you tuck in the kids and hit the sack.  Two hours later, the fire alarm goes off. Loud and startling, we quickly grab the kids and head outside.  After an hour outside, assuming it was a false alarm, it turned out it was not.  It was real.  Smoke filled a hallway, and someone had a fire in their personal suite.

While wiling our time away outside in the California night, it reminded us of a prior, similar experience at the YMCA of the Rockies (a FANTASTIC family destination in the heart of the Rocky Mountains).  We happened to be staying in a lodge instead of a cabin, and in the middle of the night, off goes the fire alarm.  Same thing, only much colder than the California sky.

So what did these experiences teach us? First, assume its real, not a prank.  Two, move fast.  Don’t think about changing clothes and grabbing all your personal belongings.  Grab a blanket and the kids, and move.  Once you get outside, you can wrap up and be safe.

You may have had similar experiences, or you may sometime in the future.  To learn more about the important issue of fire safety, take a look at the National Fire Prevention Association website for great tips and information. Scholastic also has a page with great teaching resources for Fire Prevention Week.