Junior Security Detective Academy

Kids Safety at Home

Practical, calm guidance on the safety situations kids actually face โ€” home alone, unexpected visitors, emergencies and fire. Know what to do before it happens.

Three happy children sitting together on a doorstep at home

This section covers the real-life safety situations that kids aged 8 to 13 are most likely to encounter at home. Every topic uses the same detective approach used across the academy: observe, think clearly, follow the family plan, and ask a trusted adult. None of these topics are about making you afraid. They are about making you ready.

Choose a safety topic

The golden rule

Across every topic in this section, one rule applies above all others:

You do not have to handle it alone. Tell a trusted adult โ€” and if you can't reach one, call 000.

A trusted adult is someone your parent or carer has told you to contact โ€” a parent, grandparent, neighbour, teacher or relative. You should know at least two trusted adults by name and phone number.

  • Know your home address by heart.
  • Know at least two trusted adult phone numbers.
  • Know Australia's emergency number: Triple Zero โ€” 000.
  • Know where your family's meeting point is if you leave home in a hurry.
000

Triple Zero
Police ยท Fire ยท Ambulance
Australia's emergency number. Free from any phone.

Important: In a real emergency, call 000 first. Do not search for what to do โ€” call.

How these topics connect to the academy

1

Learn about security technology

The Learn section explains alarms, cameras and smart devices โ€” the tools that help protect your home.

2

Know your safety rules

This Kids Safety section covers what YOU do in specific situations โ€” home alone, visitors, fires and emergencies.

3

Practise with scenarios

The Scenarios section lets you practise making calm decisions in tricky situations.

4

Build the family plan

The Emergency Plan page helps your family write everything down together.

For parents and carers

These topics are most useful when discussed together as a family. Go through each page with your child, agree on your family's specific rules, and write them down. The Emergency Plan page has a printable template.

For a broader guide to using this resource, see the Parent Guide.