When you own a daycare, it is important to make sure that you are able to keep the children as safe as possible if a fire were to break out in the center. You need to properly prepare the children, as well as your staff. The following guide walks you through a few things you can do to ensure that everyone stays safe if a fire breaks out in your daycare.

Have Fire Extinguishers Strategically Placed Throughout the Building

Fire extinguishers can help to stop a small fire right away so that it does not spread and become bigger. It is important to have a fire extinguisher in the kitchen of the daycare, but you also want to have them placed at other areas without the facility. This will ensure that anyone can easily gain access to the fire extinguishers when needed.

Have the Fire Extinguishers Properly Secured

Since the fire extinguishers will be placed in areas where children can access them, it is best to have them placed inside of a glass cabinet that only adults an access. This will ensure that children do not accidentally use the extinguisher by playing with it.

Check the Expiration Dates on the Extinguishers Regularly

Believe it or not, fire extinguishers do have expiration dates. There will be a tag on the extinguisher that tells you the month and year that the extinguisher expires. You need to be sure to replace the extinguishers when they expire.

Ensure All of Your Staff Knows How to Operate the Extinguishers

When you have extinguishers in your business, they will only be effective if everyone knows how to use them. You can go to your local fire department and make arrangements for a firefighter to come to your daycare to teach your staff how to use the fire extinguisher properly. This will ensure that if a fire does occur, everyone will know what to do and the fire can be put out quickly.

Have Fire Drills on a Regular basis. When a fire occurs, it can create a very overwhelming situation. When sirens are sounding and lights are flashing, children will get very scared and not know what to do. Having fire drills on a regular basis ensures that the kids and staff know what to do to ensure everyone gets out of the building safely.

Protecting the children at your daycare is essential. Taking the steps mentioned above will ensure that a fire can be handled in a safe way. Contact a company, like Tri County Fire Protection, for more help.