Stop, Drop and Roll

“Stop, Drop and Roll” dates to 1970’s and since has been used widely in fire prevention education. The lifesaving slogan has saved many lives, and is easy to remember and teach. Executed correctly, “Stop, Drop and Roll” can extinguish the fire (on clothing/hair/person) quickly and is likely reduce the severity of injury.

It is imperative to know when to utilize “Stop, Drop and Roll” and that it is not effective in all cases of when clothing catches on fire (i.e. when accelerants are involved).

This life saving prevention technique is linked to the Ruch family history. In 1970 on Memorial Day weekend Diane Ruch, who was pregnant at the time with her fourth child, and her sister Esther were in the kitchen preparing lunch for a small family gathering. Meanwhile, husband Ernie Ruch was in the backyard getting the barbeque grill ready. with his children Alisa, Ethan and David. As Ernie attempted to light the barbeque grill, a fireball erupted shooting Ernie backwards onto David and Alisa Ann who were close behind. All three caught on fire. Ethan, witnessing what had just happened, pushed his little brother David to the ground and rolled him around, smothering the flames.

The Alisa Ann Ruch Burn Foundation was founded with the mission to both provide services to burn survivors as well as spread information about prevention. Through its work, the foundation has been able to popularize the “Stop, Drop and Roll” life-saving message. The work for both survivor services and prevention education continues today supporting many innovations in prevention and ensuring well-being for burn survivors.

Download this research paper on origins and utilization of Stop, Drop and Roll practice