Schools must have fire safety plans in their building designs
What you need to know:
- These should be checked through regular audits and inspections of schools by the school management and also by the Education ministry.
- As part of a school fire emergency plan, all actions by the teachers, students and others such as security guards should be documented and regular fire drills conducted to check the effectiveness of the emergency plan.
Most media houses in Uganda were last week dominated with a very shocking story of the fire that gutted a dormitory at St Bernard’s – Mannya Secondary School in Rakai District on the night of November 11, as the students were sleeping.
This inferno left 11 students dead and many others seriously injured. Other similar fire tragedies in the past include the Budo Junior Primary School fire of 2008 that gutted the Primary Four girl’s dormitory and claimed the lives of 20 children.
Many questions are lingering in Ugandans minds. Are our children in schools safe? How prepared are our schools for fires? Is government doing anything to stop similar incidents from recurring?
While parents expect the Ministry of Education and Sports to assume a more effective oversight role over all schools across the country, they also expect schools to come up with policies emphasising their commitment and strategy in fire safety and prevention in schools. Each school must develop a thorough fire safety plan and educate both students and staff as a priority on what to do in the event of a fire.
Schools should take into consideration fire safety in their building designs as this tremendously reduces the fire risk. The installation of fire alarms and sprinklers, positioning of fire extinguishers and emergency exits are all crucial in minimising the extent of fire damage.
It is the responsibility of the school to put in place all essential school fire safety measures to mitigate, if not totally prevent fire disasters and tragedies from happening.
Students and staff must be aware of these potential hazards which include overly congested dormitories, inadequate exits in a dormitory or classroom, improper wiring and flammable liquids.
These should be checked through regular audits and inspections of schools by the school management and also by the Education ministry.
As part of a school fire emergency plan, all actions by the teachers, students and others such as security guards should be documented and regular fire drills conducted to check the effectiveness of the emergency plan.
In case of fire in school
• Sound the alarm, without hesitation or shout loudly for help.
• Call the fire service/ fire brigade by the quickest means available.
• Only those people trained should try to put out the fire by using the nearest appropriate fire extinguisher.
• Evacuate. Students must be instructed to leave the building in a calm and orderly manner to a predetermined assembly point.
• Assemble. An area outside the school premises must be designated as an assembly point. It must be clearly marked and easily identified by anyone who may be on the school premises. It should be in a position that does not put students and staff at risk by emergency vehicles responding to the incident.
• Roll call. A roll call should be conducted at the assembly point to check for any missing persons.
Continued vigilance by schools is needed to ensure safety of students and also the provision of adequate security of the school premises to deter unauthorized entry of persons.
