The One Drill That Can Save Their Lives: Take 10 To Make Safe Happen

*We’re partnering with Nationwide’s Make Safe Happen program to encourage everyone to take part in National Home Fire Drill Day. It only takes about 10 minutes and can save the lives of those most precious to you!

I also had the chance to chat with Amy Earnhardt, wife of NASCAR icon Dale Earnhardt Jr. You’ll definitely want to check out our fun Q&A below!  (Including how she met Dale and the thing that turned her life upside down.)

Recently I ran into a friend at the gym and the wide-eyed, dazed look in her eyes immediately told me something was wrong.

“My entire family nearly died last night, ” she said.

Around 2AM, the heating element in their chicken coop caught fire; everyone was sleeping soundly. Luckily, the neighbor’s dog began barking, waking up the neighbor, who then called the fire department and ran as fast as she could to my friend’s house to alert them.

When firefighters arrived, they swiftly put out the fire, but their caveat was terrifying: given five extra minutes, the entire house would have been engulfed in flames.

Make Safe Happen

While home fires can happen at any time, they are more common during the fall and winter months. We’re working with the Nationwide Make Safe Happen program to encourage families across the country to practice their home fire drills, because you never, ever know when a fire can happen.

Have you practiced a home fire drill? Do your kids know what to do in the case of a fire?

Those are scary thoughts, but being scared doesn’t save lives. Being prepared does. Experts say that fear prevents many families from talking about what to do when the alarm goes off. By not talking about it, we are doing our children a frightening disservice. Children who are afraid in the event of a fire don’t know what to do—they may even hide under a bed or in a closet, and that’s the scariest thought of all.

Many Americans mistakengly believe they have at least five minutes to escape a fire. The American Red Cross reports that 18% believe they have ten minutes or more to get out, when in reality, a family has LESS THAN TWO MINUTES to get out safely.

Please, please, PLEASE talk to your children about home fire safety and join in on October 13th for Home Fire Drill Day.

Join in Home Fire Drill Day on October 13th

Practicing for a fire drill doesn’t have to be scary—in fact, you can make it informative and fun! Do it now, review it often.

Step 1: Know where to go.

Pick a safety spot outside that is near your home but still a safe distance away. (Ours is far from our home at the mailbox.) You may want to draw up a map and place it permanently in a visible spot.

Explain to your kiddos that when the smoke alarm beeps, they need to get out of the house quickly and meet at the safety spot. You can even use a timer and promise everyone dessert if they get out in under two minutes.

Step 2: Check your smoke alarms.

Mamas and papas, this is your job, and it’s an important one. Test your smoke alarms with your kids so they know the sound. Make sure there’s a working smoke alarm in each room and on every level of your home.

Step 3: Do the drill.

Have your kids head to their bedrooms and wait for the drill to begin. If you have little ones under 6, assign an adult to be their permanent helper.

Put one adult in charge of sounding the smoke alarm and running the drill.

The other adult helps everyone get out quickly and safely. Next, sound the alarm. Start the timer and have everyone follow the plan to your designated safety spot. Once everyone gets there, stop the timer and if you all made it under two minutes, everyone gets dessert!

In a real fire, get everyone to the safety spot, then call 911 and keep everyone close until firefighters arrive. Like my friend, it can happen at the time you very least expect it.

A Chat with Amy Earnhardt about Fire Safety, Becoming a Mom, and the Unexpected Way She Met Her Husband

Dale Earnhardt Jr., NASCAR’s 15-time most popular driver and current NBC Sports analyst, and his wife Amy are also partnering with Make Safe Happen. I had the most delightful, down-to-Earth conversation with Amy, detailed below. Check her out on Instagram because she is a total sweetheart!

Me: Amy, you just became a mom–congratulations! In what ways has baby Isla changed your life?

Amy: She’s completely turned it upside down. Everything I do is now more important.

Me: Having kids makes you a more unselfish person, doesn’t it?

Amy: Yes, everything I do is for her. We’re living for these little beings in our care.

Me:  So do you think about safety differently now?

Amy: Absolutely! There are about 20,000 sharp corners, and now that she’s started eating foods, there’s choking to worry about. Everywhere you go you have to worry about safety. 

Me: Growing up, did your family have a fires safety plan?

Amy: No, unfortunately we didn’t. We grew up in a small house—dad did shift work and mom did a lot on her own. But Dale is very conscious of fire safety. Dale went through a fire as a child. When he was 6-years-old living with his mom in Virginia, their whole house burned down. Luckily everyone made it out safely.

Me: Do you and Dale have a home fire plan?

Amy: Yes, I grab the baby and we meet at the door and then get outside within two minutes. We keep it as simple as possible.

Me: Okay, now to the fun stuff. How did you and Dale meet?

Amy: {She laughs.} I was on the design team for the house he was building. We met at a design meeting in Jacksonville. We’re actually living in that house now!

Me: So were you a big NASCAR fan?

Amy: Not at all. I’d never really watched a race before meeting him. I’m more of a Dale fan than a racing fan.

Me: You are too cute. I could talk to you forever, but last question: Do you have any tips for our readers about balancing life and the importance of fire safety?

Amy: I think the best thing I’ve learned is to be fully focused in whatever I’m involved in at any given moment. If it’s Isla, I’m fully focused on being her mom. If it’s volunteer work, like working with the Children’s Hospital, I’m fully focused on that. And as far as fire safety—just make a plan. Just do it. For peace of mind.

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If you only take away one message today, let it be this: conduct a home fire drill.

No matter how busy you are or how lame your kids think it is. Just do it. Mark October 13th on your calendar right now and pledge that you’ll practice your own fire drill with your family at HomeFireDrillDay.com.

It only takes about 10 minutes and could literally save lives. You’ll have peace of mind, because home fires do happen to people who least expect them. Be prepared, not scared.

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by Nicolette via Home And Garden