Fire Safety at School

The Three Golden Rules

1. Look around your school and eliminate the hazards.
2. Install a fire detection and alarm system to give early warning.
3. Prepare an evacuation plan and practice it regularly.

Fire Safety Routines in Schools

Attention to the following fire precautions should become a regular routine in every school:

• Ensure that all escape routes from the school are free from obstruction and readily accessible at all times. Doors on escape routes should never be locked when anyone is in the building. Exit doors should open easily and immediately from the inside.
• Fire doors should be kept closed at all times. These can only be held in the open position by an electromagnetic hold-open device connected to the fire detection and alarm system.
• Implement a system of regular inspections of first-aid fire fighting equipment, such as fire extinguishers and hose-reels.
• Test emergency lighting and fire detection and alarm systems regularly, keeping a record of inspection results and any actions taken in the fire safety register.
• Ensure that fire instruction notices are legible and visible.
• Ensure that periodic fire evacuation drills are carried out.
• Train all members of staff to use first-aid fire fighting equipment and make sure they are prepared to take action in case of fire.
• Do not allow combustible materials to be stored in staircase enclosures, under staircases or along escape routes, such as corridors.
• Take adequate precautions when using paper or other flimsy materials as decorations and never use cotton wool for this purpose. Do not suspend such decorations from light fittings or near heating appliances.
• Exercise great care during the performance of school plays and at school parties to ensure no costumes or props catch fire.

Afterschool Checks

After school hours, carry out an inspection to ensure:

• All heating devices, gas fittings and other heat producing appliances have been turned off and left safe.
• There is no combustible material of any description near a possible source of ignition.
• All potentially dangerous chemicals in laboratories are safely stored.
• All cleaning materials, such as oily rags, polishing cloths and mop-heads, are properly stored in a suitable store room with the door closed.
• That rubbish and combustible waste haven't accumulated in laboratories, workshops, craft rooms, boiler rooms or elsewhere in the school.

Fire Drills for Schools

It is the responsibility of the school principal and the board of management to ensure that fire evacuation drills are carried out regularly. Fire evacuation drills should be carried out at least once per school term.

Each fire routine must be based upon a simple and efficient procedure, which has been specifically designed for the school premises in which it has to operate.

The following points must be given prime consideration:

The Purpose of Fire Drills

Fire drills are intended to ensure, by means of training and rehearsal, that in the event of fire:

• The people who may be in danger act in a calm and orderly manner.
• Those who have designated responsibilities carry out their tasks to ensure the safety of all concerned.
• The escape routes are used in accordance with a predetermined and practised plan.
• Evacuation of the building is achieved in an efficient and orderly manner.
• That people will react rationally when confronted with a fire or other emergency at school or elsewhere.

Planning a Fire Drill Routine

Considerable thought should be given to the creation of your school's fire drill routine. When planning a drill, you should be aware of the following criteria:

• The fire drill should simulate a situation where one escape route is not available.
• Each fire drill should be started by a pre-determined signal.
• The whole school premises should be checked as if a real evacuation was in progress.
• One senior person must be nominated as the person in control of the fire drill.

When it comes to fire drills for schools, consideration must also be given to the age of the pupils attending the school and whether there are any children with special needs who may require assistance during a drill or fire event.

Fire drill routines should be based on a critical sequence of events, which include these six steps:

1. Alarm Operation

Anyone who discovers an outbreak of fire must, without hesitation, activate the nearest fire alarm.

2. Calling the Fire Brigade

All outbreaks of fire or any suspected fire, however small, should be reported immediately to the fire brigade by the quickest means available.

This task could be given to the school secretary as they will always have a phone readily available. If you nominate another person to perform this responsibility, make sure they have immediate access to a phone at all times.

3. Evacuation

On hearing the fire alarm, pupils must be instructed to leave the building in single file and in a calm, orderly manner.

The person in charge of each class must indicate the exit route to be used and everyone must be directed to a predetermined assembly point.

Here are some things to keep in mind:

• Specific arrangements must be made for pupils with physical or mental disabilities to ensure that they are assisted during evacuation.
• To avoid panic, no running should be permitted.
• On staircases, everyone must descend in single file and overtaking must not be permitted.
• Lifts must not be used.
• Anyone who is not in class when the fire alarm sounds must go immediately to the assembly point.

4. Meeting at the Assembly Point

An area outside the school premises must be designated as an assembly point. Once your students and staff gather here, no one can be allowed to re-enter the building until they are told to do so by Dublin Fire Brigade or, in the case of a fire drill, the person in charge.

Here are some tips for selecting your school's fire assembly points:

• The assembly point must be far enough away from the school premises to afford protection from the heat and smoke of a fire or other emergency.
• The assembly point must be in a position that does not put pupils and staff at risk from emergency vehicles responding to the incident.
• The assembly point must be clearly marked and easily identifiable.

5. Roll Call

Attendance registers and visitors books should be held at a central point in the school and must be brought to the assembly point when the fire alarm sounds. One person should be assigned overall responsibility for ensuring that a roll call is conducted in the event of a fire drill or evacuation.

When classes have gathered at the assembly point, a roll or count must be made immediately to ascertain that nobody remains in the premises. Any visitors or contractors on the premises at that time should be included. The count must then be checked against the attendance register and visitors book to verify that everyone is out of the building.

Each teacher must report to the nominated person in charge of the evacuation procedure to verify that everyone in their charge is accounted for or to inform him/her of any persons missing.

6. Meeting the Fire Service

The person in charge of roll call must identify themselves to Dublin Fire Brigade when it arrives. In doing so, vital information can be relayed to the Fire Officer, which will dictate the actions taken by the Fire Brigade.

Dublin Fire Brigade will want to know if everyone is accounted for. If not, they will need to know:

• How many people are missing?
• What is their usual location?
• Where were they last seen?
• Where is the fire?
• What is on fire? (This may not be apparent).
• Are there any hazardous substances involved in the fire or stored in the building? These could include chemicals, solvents, liquefied petroleum gas, acetylene cylinders and more.

Instruction, Training and Recording

During the first week of term, or as soon as practically possible, all new entrants to the school - including pupils, staff and support staff - should be shown the primary escape routes of the school.

They should also receive instructions on the school's fire evacuation routine and relevant training.

• All members of staff should receive instruction and training appropriate to their responsibilities in the event of any emergency.
• All members of staff should receive instruction, given by a competent person, on an annual basis. They should all receive a personal copy of prepared written instructions. This instruction should include details of how to call the fire brigade.
• Newly appointed staff should receive instruction as soon as possible after their appointment.

Assigning Responsibilities

In large premises, a specific person should be made responsible for organising staff training. Another person should be nominated to co-ordinate the actions of staff in the event of fire. Arrangements should also be made for a deputy or deputies to carry out these duties in the absence of these nominated persons.

In smaller premises, only one specific person needs to be assigned to these two responsibilities, but arrangements should be made for a deputy to carry out these duties in their absence.

Keeping Records

A record of the training and instructions provided, as well as any fire drills held, should be entered in the school's fire safety register. You should include the following details:

• Date of the instruction or fire drill.
• Duration.
• Name of person giving the instruction.
• Names of person(s) receiving the instruction.
• Nature of instruction or fire drill.

How Dublin Fire Brigade Can Help

Making Dublin safe from fires and other emergencies is at the heart of what we do. Dublin Fire Brigade has programmes which involve the community in preventing fires.

If you would like a fire officer to give a talk to your students or staff, contact us below.