Safety Planning
by Stacey Lunsford
During a "domestic violence" disturbance
The Kitchen
Why?
The kitchen is the one of the most dangerous rooms in the house.
The kitchen has a stove that can be used to burn you.
The kitchen is full of sharp objects that can cut, prick or stab you.
The kitchen is full of blunt objects, cast iron pots and pans that can
hit, bash and smash you causing a concussion, fracturing your skull, knocking you unconscious and/or it can kill you
The Bathroom
Why?
The bathroom is full of metal, porcelain, chrome, toilets, mirrors, glass and scissors. During a domesitc violence disturbance, all of these items can cause fatal wounds, including but not limited to:
head trauma,
contusions,
concussions
swelling of the brain
stabbings
drownings
The Basement/Toolshed
unless there's a door to exit out of quickly
The basement/toolshed has light to heavy tools/machinery that can be used to cause the same injuries as the kitchen and the bathroom
~
Now that we have identified the rooms to stay out of,
let's discuss safety planning evacuation
I used to be the "Fire Safety Leader" at my church. It was my job to contact the fire department to schedule an inspection of the entire church, including all rooms with and without exits. I had to know the locations of the alarm signal stations, the fire extingushers and their operations. In the event of a fire, once the fire alarm sounded, occupants were instructed to leave the building immediately; they were advised to close doors behind them and proceed to the closet fire exit.
A safe, orderly and quiet evacuation of the building is essential. Occupants were instructed to walk rapidly and not run (CONTROL IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN SPEED). The objective was to have the building evacuated as rapidly as possible, but always under control.
As I reviewed my notes from the fire inspection and examined the outline and sylllabus that I used for safety training purposes, I see that God used Firefighter Tom Siedell to empower me to teach "Domestic Violence Safety Planning"...Thank You Lord!
Having said that...please take the time to inspect your home for fire and safety exit planning. After establishing a safe route of escape, practice until you are confident and are in control of your exit (keep in mind that control is more important than speed), next start having fire and safety exit drills once a month to ensure that you and your children know what to do, in case of a fire or the onset of a domestic violence disturbence. For a detailed and personalized plan of escape, please email me so that we talk and custom design a safety planning exit that is best for you and your family.
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