In an emergency, children tend to panic and forget what they know. They may put themselves in more danger by hiding or running into a room that's filled with smoke.
A child may be hard to wake from a deep sleep or may not recognize what the smoke alarm sounds like. They may hide under the covers or just go back to sleep.
Children in our care often have special needs and may be harder to move from place to place. They may be overstimulated or overwhelmed by the sound of the smoke alarm.
When children come into a foster home, they are an unfamiliar home. During the panic of a fire or emergency, they may forget where the door is or how to get out if they haven't practice.
Children may bring firesetting behaviors into the home, giving us the double challenge of keeping all family members safe but also addressing the firesetting behaviors in the children.