After-School Safety For Kids (NAPSA)—Firefighters, police officers and other role models put their lives on the line every day to help and rescue. These heroes are called upon in emergency situations, but there are a lot of steps parents, and kids, can take to help these heroes by keeping them- selves out of harm’s way and by being prepared and knowing what to do in case an emergency does arise. In a popular series of cartoon Make sure your kids know how to stay safe after school. good guys,” teach virtues such as courage, perseverance, resource- house. e Plan and practice two escape videos for kids, the Fisher-Price Rescue Heroes, “cool guys who are fulness and nonviolent problem solving in the face of emergencies. The videos are based on actionfig- ures such as firefighters, police officers, mountain rangers and paramedics. Kids can prepare for emergency situations by role-play- ing different scenarios with the help of these action figures. If your children are among the nearly 7 million school-age children who are home alone after school, Rescue Heroes have some tips to help keep them safe: e Place all emergency numbers (doctor, hospital, police depart- ment, fire department, poison con- trol center, EMS) and the phone number of a friend or neighbor in a visible place nearall phones. e Point out potential hazards in your home, such as electrical appliances and heating equipment. Be sure your child knows how to use them—and just be around them—safely. e Make sure your child knows where the smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms are and knows your fire escape plan. Remind your child to get out of the house immediately if the smoke alarm or carbon monoxide alarm sounds andto call the fire department from a neighbor’s routes out of the house and each room. It’s important to have an alternate escape route in case one is blocked byfire. If you have Internet access in the home, make sure yourchild knows not to give out any personal information. You may also want to set up a filter so you can monitor exactly what type of material your child can and cannot have access to. Show your child where the first aid kit is and how to use the itemsin it. e Prepare a snack or meal for your child in advance, preferably one that does not need to be heated. If it must be heated, remind your youngster to turn off the oven or stove and never leave a pot unattended while cooking. Tell your child where you will be, how you can be reached and when you will return home and stick as close as possible to that time. If possible, leave your beeper or cellular phone number. The Rescue Heroes figures, videos and DVDsare available at local stores. For more information about Rescue Heroes and fun games and activities, visit www.rescueheroes.com.
