![Half of parents, of three-10-year-olds, don](/upload/news/2023/12/20/139178.jpg)
Parents are more likely to teach their kids about stranger danger (72%), and road safety (77%) – than about fire safety in the home (55%), according to research.
As many as half of parents, with kids under 18, don't have a fire escape plan at home – and the same number, whose youngsters are aged between three and 10 years old, don't even have fire alarms fitted at home.
Three in 10 (29%) cite cost as the main barrier to making sure they have sufficient fire safety equipment fitted. But worryingly, one in 10 claim they simply don't see the need for it in their homes, according to the research of 1,517 parents, of under-18s.
Despite this, almost two-thirds of parents (63%), with kids aged three to 10, feel confident that their little ones would know what to do in case of a fire at home.
The findings emerged from a study by Kidde, to launch its Cause for Alarm campaign, to highlight the importance of having smoke and fire alarms in the house. To help children learn what to do in a fire, the company has created the Cause For Alarm jingle, “Beeps That Last, Get Out Fast”.
Myleene Klass, author of “They Don’t Teach This at School”, who is working alongside Kidde to promote the safety message, said: “We should be empowering our kids to feel confident they know what to do in the event of a house fire.
“With the right information, families and children can learn and master what they should do. Fire safety is top of mind in our home, and I want to help make it a must have in homes across the UK.”
The study also found that, when thinking about an emergency exit strategy, 15% don’t know how many exits they would factor into a fire escape plan.
And three in 10 would only incorporate one exit route – potentially leaving them at risk, should fire or smoke prevent them from reaching it. Those in a flat are worse impacted, with that figure creeping up to 39%.
Furthermore, it emerged that, of those who do have alarms, four in 10 parents haven’t tested their device within the last six months.
Rebecca Cackett, a spokeswoman for Kidde, said: “We want to make fire safety a top priority in every household, and keep children safe in their homes.
“With the right fire safety education and home safety products, we can help prevent devastating fatalities. We are calling on everyone to work together to help spread this message, and keep our children and loved ones safe.”
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