Terra Cotta windowsill detail and fire safety

It’s a bit hard to see, but we have cool curved walls into each of the windows and terra cotta window sills (I think they’re terra cotta). Unfortunately we also have plastic storm windows, bleck! However, they’re better than no storm windows at all! On the subject of windows, we’re taking off the bars on our lower back side of our house (pictures to come later). I got particularly freaked out by the fire safety lessons my kids have been getting at school… insuring that there are to exits to every room. Our basement is “garden level” but all the windows had big hulking bars over them (definitely something you don’t want with kids sleeping in those rooms). We were going to leave a few bars in front (showing that the house is still secure) until we realized the only bars are on the back. The older lady who lived here before actually had bars on the outside and one heavy lead bar on the inside. Obviously this neighborhood has changed a lot…but still! Anyway, the neighborhood has changed and we have a dog who I’m pretty sure is a better deterent than bars anyway. I think I’d rather go to the expense of a security system than think my family could get locked in in a fire.