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Current School
Bus Route Information and School Closures
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SECTION
E: OPERATIONS (PROPERTY AND TRANSPORTATION) |
File EIG
FIRE DRILLS, FIRE ALARMS, FIRE ESCAPES/EVACUATIONS
Preamble
To ensure the safety of students and staff the
following three precautions are essential:
- Adequate drill to ensure prompt and certain action when an alarm is given.
- Fire alarm and fire escape systems must be in good working order.
- A fire escape procedure is established and well known by all staff,
including an understanding of the proper use of the fire alarm and other
equipment.
Fire Drills
In the interest of safety, fire drills will be held as
prescribed by law in each school throughout the School Division. A record of
fire drills will be kept by the School Principal.
"A principal is responsible for holding fire
drills in the school and may make any rules that he or she considers necessary
to ensure the rapid and orderly evacuation of the school during a fire
drill." [M.R. 468/88-36(1)]
"A fire drill must be held at least 10 times in
each school year and, where practicable in the opinion of the principal, at
least once in each month." [M.R.468/88-36 (2)]
"A fire drill must include all occupants of the
school." [M.R.468/88-36 (3)]
Procedures for fire drills shall be reviewed at the
beginning of each school year.
Fire drills have as their purpose the development of a
system of discipline and control in case of an emergency.
- Drills must be scheduled. A sufficient number of fire drills shall be held
during the first two weeks of each term or semester to satisfy the
Principal, that students and staff thoroughly understand the proper
procedures and evacuation routes and then scheduled every four to six weeks
with a minimum of ten per year.
- The fire alarm must always be obeyed. Prompt emptying of the school is
important. No running or talking should be tolerated.
- Provision must be made by the Principal for appropriate procedures during
the noon break, after school, and during the evening. Emergency exit
information shall be posted in each room. Such information shall be printed
clearly in large letters on a card posted next to the corridor door.
- No person may be excused from taking part in fire drills. This applies to
workmen, students, Teachers, support staff and visitors.
- No person taking part in a fire drill shall be permitted to take with
him/her any article of clothing or other possession not on his/her person at
the time of the fire alarm. If possible the Teacher should take the class
register or a class list.
- The Teacher shall arrange to have the classroom door closed after the last
student has left.
- On emerging from the school, students are to be lined up in classes with
their teachers on the school ground at some distance from the building. Each
Teacher shall check to make sure that no student has been left in the
building.
- When a fire alarm is sounded, any student who is not with the class group
shall leave by the closest exit and go directly to the station appointed for
roll call instead of returning to the classroom.
- Special attention must be given to beginning students, students suffering
from physical and mental handicaps, students enrolled in visiting classes and
students in the medical room, gym and school showers.
- Some person(s) must be delegated to see that every room is emptied,
including cloak rooms, washrooms and basements.
- From time to time, fire drills shall be conducted:
 | as if a normal exit were blocked, |
| during inclement weather, |
| without prior notification to anyone within the school. |
- Fire drills shall be held at least ten times in each school year. The
Principal shall keep a record of each fire drill. (See EIG-E)
Fire Alarms and Fire Escapes
- All members of the teaching, custodial and support staff must be familiar
with the exact location of fire alarm stations in their respective schools and
must know how to turn in an alarm in case of fire and how to proceed
subsequently.
- An auxiliary system (i.e. handbells) must be provided in case the automatic
fire alarm system fails.
- The fire alarm system must not be used for any purpose other than fire
drills or fire alarms.
- The Custodian must examine fire escapes and exits each morning before school
assembles to ensure that all doors open freely and that all platforms and
stairs are cleared of ice, snow, and other obstructions.
- The Principal shall, at the beginning of the school term, make provision for
some other member of the staff to control the evacuation in case of a fire
drill or fire alarm during his/her absence.
In Case of Fire/Evacuation
- Immediately sound the fire alarm.
- All persons shall evacuate the building in accordance with the established
fire drill procedure.
- The teaching staff in the shops and laboratories shall shut off all motors,
machinery and gas valves in their charge when the fire alarm sounds.
- Employees not engaged in directing the evacuation of the building may use
fire extinguishers if the fire is small, provided this can be done without
endangering the persons using them. One staff member is to be given the
responsibility of taking the first aid kit from the school.
- The channel for communication is to be via the Principal to the Fire Chief.
Information dealing with missing students or staff is to be immediately
communicated to the Principal and Fire Chief.
- The Superintendent’s Department is to be notified as soon as possible.
Note: This regulation was developed with the
assistance of the Fire Chief of the City of Portage la Prairie (July 20, 1978).
The regulation was reviewed again on December 10, 1991
by the Fire Chief and found to be appropriate.
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