THE importance of educating children about fire safety has been underlined after it was revealed a family’s dramatic escape from their burning home was helped by their thirteen-year-old son.
On May 15 this year, the Hereford Times reported the story of the Preece family from St Weonards who woke in the early hours to find their home ablaze.
Dad Matthew Preece woke his children, Naomi and Kieran, and jumped from a first floor window before using a ladder to rescue his wife Haley and the two teenagers.
Now, it has been revealed that Kieran was given a fire safety talk as a Year Six pupil at St Weonards Primary School and was instructed to check his home for working smoke alarms and plan an escape route.
The Preece’s home did have smoke alarms fitted but the fire started under the stairs and spread rapidly to the entrance hall and first floor landing, trapping the family upstairs.
Once awake, Naomi grabbed her mobile phone and raised the alarm and joined Kieran and her parents in their bedroom.
While Matthew jumped out of the window, Kieran stuffed clothes and bedding under the doorway to prevent smoke coming under the door.
Mr and Mrs Preece have praised fire safety education and the need for all families to have smoke alarms and an organised escape plan. They also praised their two children who remained calm and remembered key safety messages.
David Thomas, St Weonards Primary School headteacher, said: “We have been doing these fire safety sessions regularly over the years.
“I think this incident proves how important they are and I think it’s nice to know that the work has been remembered by the children.”
Deb Davies, community safety advisor for Herefordshire, said: “This story highlights how, without the education, it might not have had such a positive outcome.
“I was taken on five years ago to start up a programme educating children on fire safety and we cover escape plans, smoke alarms and testing, and what to do in the event of a fire.”
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