1. Fire safety equipment and precautions
The schools should be properly equipped with fire safety equipment. Every floor must have a fire extinguisher, smoke alarm, and sprinklers. The condition of the equipment must be periodically monitored by the school authorities. The school authorities in India must also make sure that the schools’ buildings are constructed as per the latest NCB guidelines.
School vans also need to be equipped with fire extinguishers. The van staff and the driver should be aware of how to use it in case of emergency.
2. Fire safety drills
Fire safety drills for the school children help to educate them on what they to do in case of fire. These drills must be conducted once a month. With the help of these drills, children are much aware of the safety protocols and help in the orderly evacuation. The students and staff must be able to recognize the sound of the fire alarm and what they should do when it sounds.
The school teachers and staff must be aware of the fire safety system. They should be aware of the location of the fire alarms and extinguishers. The safety drills must be conducted at both expected and unexpected times. Safety drills must also include school vans in which children travel to school.
3. Fire safety audit
Fire safety audit should also be conducted periodically. The audit ensures escape planning, placement of exit doors, the method of evacuation, and placement of fire safety equipment. This helps schools to be properly equipped anytime.
4. Clear exit paths
The fire exit paths in the school should always be clutter-free. The path should not be blocked and every room in the school must have two ways out. All the exit paths should be obvious and wide enough for an orderly evacuation.
5. Safe meeting point
There should be a safe meeting point for all the students outside the building. In the case of mock drills or emergency evacuation, the students must assemble at this point until they are given all clear.
Fire safety in schools, unfortunately, is overlooked very often by the government and the parents. It is important for parents to check the fire safety of the building before admitting their children to a new school. Having said that, it is also important to practice home fire safety with kids. This ensures that they are prepared to handle emergency situations that can happen anywhere.
College fire safety prevention
These school safety tips focus mostly on elementary, middle and high schools. However, they can also apply to college buildings, where firefighters respond to about 3,810 fires each year – 88% of which are due to cooking mishaps. Here’s a college-level course in fire prevention:
On-campus precautions
Cook only in designated areas
Keep cooking areas clean and free of clutter
Never leave cooking unattended
In case of a fire inside a microwave, close the door and unplug the unit
Campus lab precautions
Never leave lab experiments or pressure vessels unattended
Keep flammable gases and chemicals away from heat
Off-campus precautions
Be sure each bedroom has a working smoke alarm
Make sure the building sprinkler system is well maintained
Building heating and fire-prevention systems need to be checked annually by fire officials
General precautions
Identify the 2 closest exits and all possible evacuation routes
Know locations of fire alarms and how to use them
Report vandalized fire equipment to campus security
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