Fire Drill: EBCB-R
- Support Services: E
Fire Drill: EBCB-R
One or more fire drills shall be conducted during the first month of school until proficiency is attained and at least once a month thereafter. Fire drills shall be conducted under the direction of each building principal.
A. Elements of a Good Fire Drill
- All school personnel and visitors shall leave the building regardless of the activities in which they are engaged as soon as their assigned duties in the fire drill are completed.
- Speed should be subordinate to control and order. There shall be no talking, running, pushing or skipping steps or stairs.
- Students shall stop work immediately. Students in technical-vocational and homemaking classes shall turn off motors, torches, gas, water outlets, close windows, etc., in accordance with the prearranged plan.
- Students and staff shall not stop to take books, wraps, or other personal belongings with them. (Exception: valuables, immediately accessible, such as purses.)
- The first person to reach any door shall open it and hold it open.
- The teacher shall check to be sure that everyone is out and then close the door.
- Students shall proceed to assigned places on grounds or sidewalks away from the building where roll will be taken.
- a. Students in lavatories or otherwise out of their rooms shall join the nearest line in making an exit, proceed to stopping place then, with permission of those in charge, join their own group, report to the teacher and take their places in line.
- b. In no case shall any group stop less than 50 feet from a building.
- c. Students shall not stop in front of gates or other entrances that may be used by the fire department.
- There shall be no intersection of lines of evacuation.
- Evacuation lines from rooms on the upper floors shall be distributed so that each stairway accommodates a proportionate share of student traffic.
- During the winter months the students should be returned to the building as quickly as possible.
B. Variations in Fire Drills
The manner in which the drills are conducted shall be varied.
- Drills shall be executed at different hours of the day without advance notice. They should be executed at such irregular times as would tend to destroy any possible distinction between drills and time of actual fire. In each classroom, cards of instruction shall be posted in a conspicuous spot describing the procedure for drills and the exit routes.
- Auditorium and gymnasium drills, where appropriate, shall be given according to a prearranged plan.
C. Responsibilities
- 1. Principal's duties:
- a. The principal is responsible for the supervision of the fire drill and shall make definite assignments to make certain that all rooms, auditoriums and lavatories are evacuated.
- b. The principal or secretary shall take whatever steps are possible to protect the school's vital records.
- Custodian's duties:
- a. The head custodian shall report to the principal's office and assist in vacating the building or assist according to a prearranged plan.
- b. Where there are assistant custodians, they may have specific assignments or be used to check rooms and lavatories to determine whether they have been vacated or perform other duties previously assigned by the principal.
- Teacher's duties:
- a. The teacher shall supervise and guide or instruct the exit of the students directly under their charge at the time of the alarm and make certain that the exit is performed in an orderly manner. No talking, running, pushing or skipping steps or stairs. Teachers not having students at the time of the drill will aid at the nearest exit.
- b. The teacher shall see that the class goes to its assigned position on the grounds, after which roll is to be called to make certain that all members of the class are present. Teachers must remain with the class.
- c. Special provision should be made to evacuate handicapped persons.
D. Fire Alarms
In the case of a fire alarm other than planned drills, the principal or his designee shall phone the local fire department or other designated emergency numbers. In case investigation shows there is no fire, he shall notify the local fire department that the alarm was false.
E. Fire Regulations
- All fires, whether extinguished by school personnel or others, are to be reported to the local fire department immediately.
- The principal will notify the local fire department 24 hours in advance of any carnival or activity involving large groups of persons which, in his judgment, may affect the safety of those in attendance.
- All explosions are to be reported to the local fire department immediately.
- There shall be no vehicular parking in fire lanes.
Approved October 14, 1975
Revised 1978
Revised February 10, 2014