What do you do if the sirens go off?

STEP BY STEP

1. Before we start. Do you recognise this sound? And this one? Do you know what the difference is?

Do you know what an air-raid siren is?

The air-raid siren is an outdoor alarm system. It makes a loud ringing sound to warn people in the surrounding area of danger. This kind of siren is not the same as the indoor  fire alarm you might hear at school or at home.

Fires cause smoke, smoke is bad if you breath it in. An explosion can cause a lot of smoke. Accidents can happen anywhere, a factory, car accident, or forest fire can create large amounts of smoke.

Not only is smoke unhealthy to breathe in, there are also other bad substances that can get into the air. For example, if a factory has a chemical leak chemicals can escape into the air. Chemicals are extremely small and can sometimes be difficult to see and/or smell. Chemicals should not be breathed in.

Air-raid sirens are an essential system to warn citizens about all kinds of dangers. In fact, most civil protection plans  around the world use them when a chemical accident occurs. The purpose of air-raid sirens is to alarm citizens.

2. What might be happening if I hear an air-raid siren? 

It could be that you are close to a large fire and that the smoke is headed in your direction. 

It could also be that there has been an accident with a chemical substance. The smoke or vapor should not be breathed in.

Remember: all smoke is unhealthy to breath in.  Make sure you do not breath in any kind of smoke!

There are also substances that you cannot smell or see when burnt. They can still be just as bad for your health.

Drawing Activity

Material: Colored pencils, erasers & paper

Assignment: 

We are going to draw some of the things we learnt about today!

•Draw what you think could be happening when the sirens go off.

•Draw what you would do if you hear the sirens go off. Take your time to draw the steps, don’t worry if you don’t remember every step.

Take the drawing home to show your parents. Tell them about what you drew!

3. School practice exercise. We are going to practice what you need to do at school when the siren goes off (the outdoor air raid alarms).

Step 1

Report to a teacher. Do you not see a teacher? Then do the following: 

- If you are inside, stay inside.

- If you are outside, go inside.

Step 2

Once inside. Stay calm while the teachers close the doors, windows and ventilation ducts.

During a real emergency you need to inform your parents via text (if this is allowed) that you are at school and you are safely indoors. For this exercise we will not do that.

Step 3

The teacher will let you know what the situation is.

If the teacher allows it, you can also check the website of the local news or emergency services webpage.

Step 4

Does the siren stop sounding? This does not necessarily mean that the situation is safe. Only go outside once authorities say it is safe (you can find this on the websites mentioned above). If you are not sure if it is safe, ask a teacher.

TIP

For a more detailed explanation, please see the Kids Emergency Card below.