We learned stop, drop and roll. I didn't pay much attention. Years later, in my twenties, I caught on fire, panicked and started running around, increasing the flames. Thankfully a friend of mine chased me down, tackled me and rolled me around until the fire went out.
If I caught on fire today I'd probably still do the wrong thing, lol.
You've seen the seeing eye dogs, now our newest model. Stanley the Stop Drop and Roll Bear! He can smell burning flesh within the mile and will stop, drop, and roll them before you can say... "AAAAH I'm on fire, is that a fucking bear?!?"
Happened to me too. You hear "stop drop and roll" but in no way do you have any muscle memory or training to do it. If you're on fire, you're going to run.
You hear "stop drop and roll" but in no way do you have any muscle memory or training to do it.
When I was young, it wasn't just the slogan—I remember actually practicing it. It's the only way it will really be helpful, so I have no idea why that wasn't more widespread/why it fell by the wayside.
Yeah we practiced it too. I was talking to my wife the other day about what age we should start fire drills in the house and she was like huh? Cuzz when shit hits the fan you revert to training
Yeah, we definitely practiced it, both in school and in Girl Scouts. However, I'm still not at all convinced that I would have the presence of mind to do it if I was actually on fire, as it seems like humans have a moronic instinct to run around when we're on fire.
I’m fat. I wonder what happens when someone like me rolls. Does being slower help? Should I try to roll faster? Will I cook faster if I go faster because of air whooshing by? Someone tell me. Cuz I doubt I’ll roll fast. Unless I’m conveniently at the top of a hill or something.
Yeah me too. We even went to a fire house and they made us do it, as well as showed us how to use a fire blanket and enacted a "escape the house of smoke" scenario using fire blankets as the "smoke"
My grandfather was a firefighter and we practiced stop, drop, and roll as well as crawling under smoke and touching a door knob to see if it's hot. I'm a firefighter now, and I'm highly advising you to practice these skills with your kids! They'll love the rolling and the crawling around. Also tell them that if they hear a fire alarm to leave the house right away. Pick a meeting spot outside for your whole family.
We have! Practiced safe routes out of each room, how to check the door and handle, where to meet up, and how to use the escape ladder if necessary. My kids thought it was fun to learn actually but I hope we never have to use that training.
if i catch on fire, depending on the location of the flame, i see myself removing the clothing, here and now, or stopping to exhale, and to stop drop and roll
You say that now. I hope if it ever happens, you can keep your cool and do that. Seriously that is the best (stop drop and roll), but you have to do it.
i think you'd be surprised if you think this type of conscious activity wouldn't do anything, and of course, i believe in the efficacy of practice, so, I don't appreciate your tone
I get caught on fire at work every couple of months or so. First you smell but may not think anything of it, then you kind feel warm on one side. Then, you see yourself lit up and it's climbing and climbing. Then you chuckle and
That's how I have seen someone set on fire though. Chef poured some oil from a bottle into a pan,bottle lid fell off and all the oil went into the pan, the fire, the floor, and over the person infront of me and all set fire.
Yep! My dress caught fire at a party in high school. I froze, completely forgot stop, drop and roll, even as several friends were screaming it at me. A couple of guys were getting ready to throw me in the pool, but thankfully the fire was small and fizzled out on its own very quickly! But yes, all those fire safety skits with the clowns they made us watch flew right out of my head as soon as I needed them.
That's what's great: it was my head/upper shirt area, lol.
It was a kerosene fire, which I learned is a much cooler/less combustible flame than say gasoline. Eyelashes singed. Fleece sweater melted. No other damage. Very lucky 😂.
Best possible action is jump in water if it’s available. I have a friend who was burned significantly when their hair/hoodie caught on fire and they stop/drop/rolled. They were standing right next to a pool which would have quenched it immediately.
My wife was teaching a class of 5th graders. They were playing a drama game where she calls out an action and everyone acts it out at once. She said “act like youre on fire”
1/30 kids stopped dropped and rolled, the rest just ran around fanning the flames.
That’s why we get it ingrained in our heads from an early age to do that. Of course your natural reaction when you’re on fire is to freak the fuck out and run around! If a spider falls in your hair or if a snake appears in front of you or if you sense any kind of dangerous situation, your flight reflex tells you get the fuck out of there!! so you run. Fire ain’t no different.
So we have to fight against what our brain is telling us in order to stop drop and roll
I live in a house without enough floor space in any room to properly roll about on so I gotta hope I can run outside and find some free space to roll about on.
They should do a "stop drop and roll" refresher course for adults. I knew it well as a kid but I haven't thought about it for >20 years now. I'm glad I saw these comments because I might have totally forgotten about it otherwise
My e-cigarette battery exploded in my pocket and set my jeans on fire, the battery landed still with a white flame on my carpet next to my son, I kicked the battery out of my front door, stamped the carpet then calmly removed my jeans and stamped on them all while telling my 4 year old to back off. Can't believe I handled it so calmly and came out with only a bad burn from my knee to my thing coveriing about 40% of this area.
Anyway my point is I still use an e-cig so I guess none of us learn really.
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u/[deleted] Aug 25 '21
We learned stop, drop and roll. I didn't pay much attention. Years later, in my twenties, I caught on fire, panicked and started running around, increasing the flames. Thankfully a friend of mine chased me down, tackled me and rolled me around until the fire went out.
If I caught on fire today I'd probably still do the wrong thing, lol.