The “This Is Us” portion of the blog is written by Elisabeth – the fire safety portion is written by Jenna.
If you’re not caught up on the latest ‘This Is Us episode’ DO NOT READ the following section – scroll down to the fire safety guide by my girl Jenna to avoid any spoilers!
If you are caught up – OHHHHH GOODNESS JACKKKK WHYYYYY!!!????
How upset at Jack are you on a scale of 1 -10? I am at a 10 for sure. It was in true Jack Pearson form that he go back in for Kate’s dog, BUT NOOOOOO – don’t go back in for the dog! I know that sounds awful, but the loss of the family dog is a much lesser blow than losing the patriarch of the family. Especially a father like Jack! So here’s a list of things I learned from watching the dreaded “Jack dies” episode – some things NOT to do and of course some actual family fire safety information from a fire wife who is very knowledgable on the topic.
What I learned from Jack Pearson during the house fire:
1: The obvious – replace the batteries in your fire alarms!! Especially when you know they are DEAD. *tear
2: If you live in a 2 story home, put a window evacuation plan in place so you do not have to go through a burning house to get out. There are portable and easily storable rope ladders that can easily solve this problem and keep your family safe.
3: Although Jack was successful in using a mattress in blocking the flames from harming his family when evacuating – Don’t ever use an object or blanket to try and block flames from yourself or someone else. Mattresses are unfortunately highly flammable so your risk of spreading the fire even more is much higher than if you were to run without a blockade.
4: LEAVE THE DOG. You just have to. If your entire family is safe on the ground and you’ve forgotten the beloved family pet, just look at your family alive and well and know that you’ve done your Super Man Jack Pearson duties and leave the poor dog behind. As I said above, losing the family pet vs. losing your husband, father or your own life is much less devastating.
5: CALL 911 the second you are aware of an emergency. I understand the Pearson’s lived in a time where they did not have access to the only phone in their home BUT we all sleep next to our cell phones so pick up that phone and dial right away!
6: Am I missing anything from the episode that you noticed? Comment below and let me know!
Okay now for the real fire safety facts from Jenna:
Fire prevention is a tough topic to handle in your household.
As a fire wife, talking about fires with my kiddos is a more natural occurrence, but it wasn’t always that way. My kiddos used to be deathly scared of fire, and that’s not a good thing when we talk about trying to help our kids learn what to do in case of a fire in your house.
There are 5 easy ways that you can practice fire safety in your home:
- Start by showing them why it’s not ok to play with fire. Lighters, matches, etc. Anything that can start a fire should be introduced as dangerous items and if your children see anything like that to tell an adult. Children under 5 are twice as likely to start a fire in a home.
- Install smoke alarms and test them once a month. It’s safe to change the batteries at least once a year! You also need to make sure that you install the right number of alarms in your house – the American Red Cross can help you by installing them for free.
- Make sure everyone – including your kiddos – know at least two ways to escape from every room in your house in case of fire. Also, designate one meeting spot outside the home for everyone to congregate after they escape. Here’s a printable worksheet from the American Red Cross that can help you map it out! Then, practice “escaping” your house at least twice a year with your kiddos so that they are comfortable with it. Make it fun! Allow them to climb a little bit and explore in places where they wouldn’t normally be able to do it.
- Make sure your kiddos know your address and know how to call 9-1-1. It would also be helpful for them to know their grandma’s phone number or someone other than you as their parent in case of any other emergencies.
- Teach your kiddos how to stop, drop and roll. This is also very fun for your kiddos to learn but make sure they understand the importance too!
What do you do in your home for fire or emergency safety? Are we missing anything from the episode that you noticed? Comment below and let us know!
XOXO Jenna and Elisabeth!
Jack went back through the house not just to save the house but he also got a pillow of mementos. That is a no-no. You should leave your belongings and not try to grab your stuff. Jack risked his life and prolonged his smoke exposure to grab those mementos.
Unplug your stupid crockpot! Or any device that you are not using for that matter.