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| kennedyzoe |
 Posted: Fri Feb 29, 2008 11:50 am Post subject: Teaching Fire Safety |
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Forum Freshman
Joined: 29 Feb 2008
Posts: 4
Location: Detroit, Michigan
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I have a theory about how we think and react during emergency situations. I find that children are able to remember a positive response considerable better than remembering a negative response. Instead of trying to teach children all the things they should not do during a house fire we teach the one thing they should do "escape" from the house and "Wait" outside.
If anyone has ever done any research that supports my theory I would love to read it.
Dan Phillips
www.escapeandwait.com
http://www.escapeandwait.com |
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| Wolf |
| Posted: Fri Feb 29, 2008 1:12 pm Post subject: |
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Forum Lycanthrope
Joined: 15 May 2007
Posts: 1014
Location: Here
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I dunno. The majority of things I've seen center around preventing natural reactions (such as opening windows) and common problems involved in escaping (grabbing doorknobs barehanded, climbing onto the roof, etc.).
Although I would have to agree that teaching proper actions in an emergency is better than long chains of things not to do, as far as memory goes, I'm not sure it's related to the types of things being remembered (ie good or bad). I think it more has to do with the amount to be remembered. Children (and even adults) will remember what to do if they are given only a few instructions, rather than a lot. So, rather than flood the brains of the children with things not to do, it would be better to give them a short list of things TO do.
Then of course there's the fact that children seem to remember things best when there's a bit of trauma associated with it. However, I doubt you'd be able to convince the general public that all their kids should be put through a house fire. 
_________________
Wolf
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"Be fair with others, but then keep after them until they're fair with you." Alan Alda |
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| kennedyzoe |
| Posted: Fri Feb 29, 2008 4:00 pm Post subject: House Fire Simulator |
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Forum Freshman
Joined: 29 Feb 2008
Posts: 4
Location: Detroit, Michigan
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Actually we do put the kids in a room and activate a smoke machine, simulating a house fire.
The kids practice what to do in the room without any smoke and do fine. When we activate the machine (just a puff at the ceiling) they freeze. A little prodding gets them going and they remember what to do again. I am hoping that the "fear/suprise" of the smoke helps them during the real thing.
Dan Phillips
www.escapeandwait.com |
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