School fires again: All should watch out

What you need to know:

  • The issue: School fires
  • Our view: There should be periodic inspection of the building or the schools for violations, issuing orders to comply and, potentially, prosecuting or closing building.

The nation woke up yesterday to the horrendous news of the burning to death of 10 students and scores injured after fire broke out at St Bernard Secondary School, Manya in Rakai District on Sunday night.

The tragic event evokes memories of the 2008 Budo Junior School fire that killed 20 pupils and the subsequent rampant fires in other schools across the country. Whereas reports of the same had plummeted, school authorities and stakeholders should take fire safety measures serious as early as during the construction of a school facility.

Secondly, there is a pattern of the fires occurring in third term and schools should pay more attention to the discipline of their students during this period. Schools should also ensure security to keep off intruders.
As police seek to establish the cause of the fire, let all school authorities across the country do the following, as reported by this newspaper eight years ago, to prevent infernos.

• Install detection systems such as heat detectors, smoke detectors, alarm systems and break glass pint, among others.
• Put in place a Fire Action Emergency Plan so that students and teachers know what to do in case a fire breaks out and carry out periodic or regular fire drills or evacuation drill.

• Have fire safety signage in any installation eg showing the direction of the exits and location of extinguishers.
• Recognise Police Fire Brigade department as a partner in fire safety promotion.
• When you get out of a burning dormitory or building, don’t run back in to save anything, your life is more precious than property. Get out and stay out!

Also, the Uganda Fire Safety Policy is there for all those operating boarding schools to observe. These are some of them.
• Schools should not exceed the maximum occupancy within any part of the dormitory.
• Maintain proper fire exits and exit signage.
• Placing and maintaining fire extinguishers in easilyaccessible places.
• Proper storing/using of hazardous materials that may be needed inside the building or the schools for storage or operational requirements.

• Periodically inspect the building or the schools forviolations, issuing orders to comply and, potentially, prosecuting or closing building or the schools that are not in compliance, until the deficiencies are corrected or condemning it in extreme cases, etc.
We condole with all the families that lost their dear ones and wish all those affected a quick recovery. We also wish all those sitting their A-Level exams at the school psychological and emotional recovery.

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