5. What To Do In Case The Alarm Sounds
WARNING: THE SOUND OF THE ALARM HORN OR VOICE PLAYBACK
REQUIRES YOUR IMMEDIATE ATTENTION AND ACTION. DO NOT IGNORE
THE ALARM! TAKE EMERGENCY ACTION IMMEDIATELY!
DO NOT disconnect battery to silence the alarm as this
may seriously compromise your safety.
Assess the situation around you and take appropriate action.
Check first for fire.
In Case of Fire
Exit the household immediately by following the safest of your
escape plans depending on the area of danger. Do not stop to pick
up anything along the way. You can tell if a door is safe to open by
touching it with the back of your hand. If it is hot, consider an
alternate escape route. If it isn’t hot, open the door slowly and be
prepared to close it if you sense heat or smoke.
* Crawl low if you have to go through areas with heavy smoke.
* Stop, Drop and Roll if any of your clothes catch on fire.
* Meet other members of the household in the predefined
location outside.
* Make certain all persons are accounted for.
* Call 911 from outside the house as soon as possible.
* Never consider re-entering the household without proper
authorization from the fire department representative.
Low Battery Alarm
If the battery level runs low, the unit will chirp once every minute.
Replace all 4 AA batteries immediately. Follow instructions at the
bottom of the battery compartment for sequence of installation.
The unit will not work and cannot be placed back on its mounting
plate without batteries. If you do not replace the batteries, this low
battery warning will continue for at least 7 days, while still fully
functioning. After 7 days, the unit will chirp until the batteries die.
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Instructions for young children.
Recorded directions for young
children should state only the basics of what the child should do
in the event of a fire emergency. There should be three basic
directions: (1) wake up, (2) leave the home, and (3) meet at a
specified place (do not re-enter the home.)
Parents should use a tone of voice that communicates a sense
of seriousness and urgency. This tone should strike a balance:
You do not want to panic your children by sounding hysterical,
but it is important to convey that you mean business in these
recorded messages.
The KidSmart
TM
system provides 15 seconds of recording time
for your familiar voice message. This is not a long time; therefore,
it is important to choose your words carefully.
The device will repeat the message a number of times.
With these points in mind, here is an example of a script
appropriate for young children:
“_______ (child’s name) wake up! Its Mommy, there is a fire in
the house. You’ll be okay, remember what we practiced _______
(child’s name.) Get out of your room, down the stairs and out the
door; meet me by the tree in the front yard.”
Instructions for older children.
These directions can be more
complicated and can involve contingency planning; the recordings
can tell children different things to do in different situations.
For example, messages can remind the child of two possible
escape routes from the home, so that if the first route is blocked
by the fire, the child has an alternate way to go.
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