School safety tips

U.S. fire departments respond to an estimated average of 5,690 structure fires in educational properties annually. These fires caused an annual average of 85 civilian injuries and $92 million in direct property damage. Safety Tips

  • Fire drills must be held at least once a month while school is in session. (Schools in climates with severe weather have the option of deferring monthly drills).
  • Principals, teachers, or other school staff must inspect all exits daily to ensure that stairways, doors, and other exits are working properly and unblocked.
  • The emergency drill alarm should be sounded on the school fire alarm system on the day of the drill. Ensure that everyone can recognize the sound of the alarm and knows what to do when it sounds.
  • Teachers, officials, and staff should be familiar with the school’s fire protection system, including the location of fire alarm pull stations and sprinklers.
  • A map identifying two ways out should be posted in every room in the school. In schools with open floor plans, exit paths should be obvious and free of obstruction.
  • Everyone in the school should participate on the day of the fire drill.
  • Students with specific needs should be assigned an adult or a student buddy to assist them. Fire drills are an excellent opportunity to identify who among the student population requires extra assistance.
  • While it’s essential to ensure students leave the building as quickly as possible, order is more important than speed when conducting a safe fire drill.
  • Once everyone has safely exited the building, they should remain outside at a predetermined location until the ‘all clear’ has been given to reenter the school.
  • Use rosters to ensure that every student is accounted for.
  • Fire drills should be held at expected and unexpected times and under varying conditions to simulate the conditions that can occur in an actual emergency.
  • School fire drills are a model for students to use in their homes. Encourage students to practice their escape plans at home—just as they do at school.