The Savannah morning news., 1904-11-14
VALUE of FIRE DRILL.

Two recent incidents illustrate the
value of the fire drill in buildings
where considerable numbers of chill
dren are habitually assembled. The
first of these was the fire in a public
school in New York, in which $500
children were safely marched out of
the building in a few minutes, with
out accident. We have already pub
ished the details of this occurrence;
details that must have arrested the
attention of and called forth exclama-
tions of gratitude from every parent
who has children in the public schools.
The second incident was at Castleton,
Staten Island, where fire broke out in
the Nursery and Children's Hospital.
The $50 children of the institution had
been perfected in the fire drill, and
when the alarm was sounded every
one of them fell quickly into line and
marched out to safety, without the
slightest sign of panic or excitement.
BY way Of contrasting the effective
ness of the fire drill, it is necessary
only to refer to the Greenwich Ave-
nue. School fire, in New York, some
years ago. In that case the children
had not been drilled for a fire emer-
gency. When fire was discovered in
the building the widest panic ensued.
A scene of indescribable horror follow
ed, and there was such loss Of life and
limb that those who recall the dlsas-
ter DO so with a shudder.
The City Council of Savannah has
passed an ordinance requiring the fire
drill at least twice a month in all
| public schools, and once a month in
all buildings where fifty or more wom-
en- and children are regularly assem-
bled. 1t seems to us that the provi-
sion is a wise one. 1t may be that the
drill will never be actually needed.
Our school buildings are well con-
structed and the children are we'll dis
eiplined. But at the same time, the
occasion might arise when the drill
would possibly be worth many pre-
cious young lives.
At all events. the drill is a precau-
| ton on the line of safety. 1t will
require very little time and no extra
expense. Its practice, at unexpected
times. will familiarize the children
with the danger call and teach them
to remain calm when the danger sig
nal is sounded. In the recent case of
the New York school, not child could
be induced to utter a word or get out
of line until the building had been
emptied and the classes dismissed by
the teachers. It was a splendid illus
tration of the value Of training for an
emergency.
The success of the fire drill in time
of danger depends, of course, upon
the GOODNESS. courage and good judg-
ment of teachers and principals. A
hysterical teacher might, indeed, de-
stroy the self-possesion of a class that
had been formed in good order to
march out OF the building. The drill,
therefore, will be a good thing for the
teachers as well as the pupils. They
will be always on the qui vive for an
alarm, but in the great majority of
Instances they will be uncertain as to
whether the call is for practice or for
an actual fire. The element OF doubt
will give assurance to teachers and
pupils alike; and after the practice
has been held for several months, the
people in the school houses will be
found moving out with cRlmness and
precision at the call Of the alarm.