The Coolidge examiner., 1939-07-27
Fire Drills
For Schools
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ings. Drills for this purpose might
be subdivided as follows:
Plan. Purpose, Procedure.
PLAN
The plan will depend upon the
type, kind, design and location OF
the school building. the number OF
teachers, age of the children, the
possible use of older children. as
monitors, and the general charact-
er and physical condition of the
children. Special provisions must
be made for the removal Of those
who are crippled, or otherwise
have to be helped.
1t may be necessary to COM
pletely re-assign the use of rooms
to permit the quick exit Of the
younger children, who sometimes
are improperly housed on upper
floors. Definite detailed plans
must be prepared, explained to the
teaching staff and to others who
may be called upon to act in
supervisory manner, and they
should be modified as little as pos
sible from any standardized drills
used in other schools in the dis
trict. A standardized drill and fire
alarm signal is an essential for
every community.
The purpose of any drill is to
perform the operation sufficient
number of times so that 1t Is
possible in an emergency to carry
It out in a natural, unhurried man
ner Drills therefore should be
started during the first three days
of school in the fall term This
first drill should be a slow-motion
affair. so that all OF the details
can be explained and full under
standing obtained. Numerous other
drills should be held during the
early part of the fall term untii
the evacuation of the building be-
comes so well established that the
influx of a few new pupils would
not make it necessary to hold the
drills SO frequently in severe
winter weather common in some
states Drills are to accustom peo-
ple to the action which should be
taken during a fire. Fire may oc-
cur at any minute, therefore no
fixed time should be set for any
drill. no notification should be sent
to any teacher, and the only ones
notified should be those whose
duty it is normally to transmit an
alarm to the fire department. TO
completely evacuate the building
Is the main consideration and must
always be borne in mind. Other
work or duties should never be
assigned which would interfere
with the exit of any of the pupils.
In executing fire drills. con-
sideration should be given to the
health of the children, but except
at such times when there are
epidemics of colds. the short time
that children will be out of doors
seldom endangers their health
even in severe cold weather.
Practice in mass marching Is
always worthwhile. Release from
discipline inside of a building Is
seldom advisable. Well disciplined
drills can be made a part Of the
evolutions used when children
leave auditoriums, gymnasiums. or
go out of doors at recess time.
There are many ways to improve
the execution of fire drills. They
should be varied to correspond 10
the possibility Of an exit Deine
blocked, they must provide for
classes to cross streets safely
where sufficient yard space is not
available, they must not leave
children at locations where they
would be injured by falling walls
tbov must not release children
who in their excitement might re-
turn to the building, they must not
be such as to interfere with the
firemen, nor should the firemen IN
any way block the exit OF the chill
dren with their hose lines or lad
des.
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