How to teach your kid emergency skills: calling 911, fire escape plans and a go-bag

Nobody wants to think about a fire or an emergency at home. But kids who've practiced what to do are far better prepared than kids who've only been told. By 10 to 12, children are ready for real responsibility here: knowing when to call 911, knowing two ways out of every room, and even leading the family fire drill.

Ready.gov puts it simply: everyone in the family can help prepare.

Skill 1: Know when and how to call 911

The National 911 Program says teaching children when to call 911 is just as important as teaching them how to place a call, and that even very young children can learn when not to call.

When to call: 911.gov describes an emergency as any situation that requires immediate help from the police, fire department or ambulance. For kids, that means:

• A fire
• Someone badly hurt or who won't wake up
• A crime happening, or someone in danger

Not for: a lost toy, a sibling fight, a scraped knee.

What to say: 911.gov says the call-taker may ask for:

1. The location, including the street address
2. The phone number you're calling from
3. What's happening
4. Details, like what the fire looks like or how someone is hurt

Then: follow the call-taker's instructions, and don't hang up until they tell you to. Many 911 centers can walk a caller through what to do until help arrives.

How to practice: role-play with a pretend phone, never a real one. You play the call-taker and ask the questions. Practice the address until it comes out smoothly, even when your child is nervous. (Address practice starts in safety basics.)

If they dial by accident: stay on the line and explain it was a mistake. Hanging up can make the call center think there's a real emergency.

Skill 2: Practice the family fire escape plan

The National Fire Protection Association says you may have as little as one or two minutes to escape once a smoke alarm sounds. A plan you've practiced is what makes those minutes count.

Make the plan together (NFPA's steps):

1. Draw a floor plan of your home and mark two ways out of every room, including windows and doors.
2. Mark each smoke alarm.
3. Pick an outside meeting place a safe distance in front of your home, like a neighbor's house, a light post or a mailbox.
4. Check that doors and windows open easily and escape routes are clear.

Practice it:

• NFPA recommends practicing your escape plan twice a year.
• Practice getting low and going under the smoke to your exit.
• Close doors behind you on the way out to slow the fire.
• Once you're out, stay out. Never go back in, for anything or anyone. Tell the firefighters if someone is missing.

Second floor? NFPA says escape ladders can add another way out, but children should only practice with a grown-up, and only from a first-story window.

Skill 3: Pack a go-bag

Ready.gov's basic emergency kit includes:

• Water: one gallon per person per day, for several days
• Non-perishable food for several days
• A flashlight and extra batteries
• A first aid kit (more on using one in basic first aid)
• A whistle to signal for help

Ready.gov also suggests books, games or puzzles for children. A grown-up should add medicines and important documents.

A kid-sized go-bag can't hold several days of water for a family, so the grown-up makes the checklist and the kid packs what's on it. Put the bag where everyone can find it, and check it twice a year, maybe when you do your fire drills.

The challenge: lead a family fire drill

The mastery goal is for your child to lead a family fire drill and review the emergency plan.

1. Plan the drill with your grown-up first.
2. Start the drill and lead everyone out.
3. Count everyone at the meeting spot.
4. Talk about what to do better next time.

NFPA notes the goal is to practice, not to frighten. Telling children about a drill ahead of time can be just as effective as a surprise.

Keep it calm

Emergency talk can worry some kids. Keep the tone matter-of-fact: "Firefighters practice, pilots practice, and we practice too, so we know just what to do." Focus on what they can do, not on scary what-ifs.

Make it a quest

In Family Quests, this is the Emergency Ready skill. Practice quests are know when and how to call 911, practice the family fire escape plan and pack a go-bag, and the mastery quest is lead a family fire drill and emergency plan review. Every quest lists a grown-up as part of the job, the 911 quest uses a pretend phone and is practiced in person, and you approve each quest before it counts. Start free.

Next: teach your kid to go places on their own, or read about basic first aid.