Pre-school fire safety interventions
There is a need to take action to protect pre-school children from fire-related death and injury, as evidence indicates they are at greater risk of this form of harm than older children. Therefore, in 2020, Kent Fire and Rescue Service (KFRS) carried out a review of existing research with the aim of understanding the effectiveness of preschool fire safety interventions.
Researchers identified 17 relevant papers, which described 18 primary research studies, in total. The studies were mainly conducted in the USA, and used a range of research designs which varied in quality. The strongest studies suggested that interventions can have positive impacts on fire safety-related knowledge, behavioural intentions and skills and spontaneous behaviours in preschool children.
A range of successful intervention elements were identified, including specific sources, modes, schedules and messaging techniques. These insights will inform future approaches to fire safety interventions with preschool children.