My
dad was a fireman. Then he became the State Fire Marshall.
All my life I grew up in a home that had a sprinkler system and fire
sensors with an alarm. A huge alarm that was a brass bell.
It was located outside my bedroom door. So when I got older
and stayed out too late, my dad would turn off the sprinkler
system, put a match to the alarm to set it off to get me up!
Every
year we had our annual E.D.I.T.H. fire escape drill. I lived in
a modest, middle-class, two-story house, so this meant having to
go down a metal
chain ladder.
It wasn't easy because it moved a lot. Somehow, word always
got around the neighborhood when we were having our fire
drills. I was so embarrassed I wasn't the source!
So,
all the kids would come to watch and some even wanted to go down the ladder
too. It got to be an annual neighborhood event. Embarrassing
for me (because it was MY bedroom that got used as the escape
room) when young but now it's a joke with friends who say,
"I
remember your fire drills."
And
that's the reason for EDITH. To get you to remember what to do in
case something happens. I feel now that "Actions teach
greater than words." And that kids remember because they DID IT
more than if they READ IT.
I
was fortunate because all those drills were just embarrassing annual family events
and never really had to be put into real practice. But the
memories are there for me and for a lot of kids in my neighborhood to
this day.
So
have an EDITH party!
For
more information on how to set up an EDITH practice go to
Berk's
County Kid's Safety House
.
It has a great page on EDITH as well as other information on teaching
kids and babysitters fire safety in your home.
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