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Permalink Reply by Peter Eaton on December 9, 2010 at 9:21am

My boys are 7 and 10. They are part of the Local 4-H club. One of the girls in the 4-H club survived a very close call of her own. She was rescued just inside the door to the outside with very bad burns to her head, back, and legs. She was wearing synthetic material PJs. The 4-H club extended an invitation to the Chief and I to make a presentation to them. The presentation started with the girl giving her story to fellow members. After she was finished the Chief and I looked at each other with "the look" of "How could we follow that?" It was one of the most powerful things I have witnessed. Pier-to-pier pressure is a very powerful force and in this case it was used to a good end. That very evening while preparing for bed my boys asked if they were wearing cotton PJs. They also wanted to do a EDITH. Fortunately we have a exit plan and practise EDITH regularly.

As part of the presentation by the Chief and I, we asked the kids to take a look around and then close their eyes. (Under parental supervision) We then asked them to get onto their hands and knees and crawl toward the exit while keeping their eyes closed. Though all the kids thought this was a good game to play, we reinforced that a fire is most likely to happen at night, in the dark, the power might be out or their might be too much smoke to see. I also make it very clear to both my boys and to other kids and adults that once you are out DO NOT GO BACK IN. As a father and firefighter this might be a difficult rule to follow, but, I make it clear to my boys "If you get out and your brother didn't - DON'T GO BACK IN". We lost a well respected member of our community this past year because he went back in for a family pet.

Thank you all and have a nice day.
PE