SCHOOL FIRE DRILL.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 13094, 20 April 1908, Page 2

SCHOOL FIRE DRILL.

DEMONSTRATIONS AT EAST OHRISTCHUBOH.

DEF3_C_TVE SCHOOL BUILDINGS.

Advantage -was taken on Thursday of the presence in Christchurch of Captarn Henna-, Government fire inspector of publio buildings, to show him how the fire -rill system adopted at the East" Christchurch school worked in notual practice, and, incidentally, to get his opinion on the school from a fire, risk point of view. The demonstration took place in the afternoon in the* presence not only of Captain Hennah, but also of Superintendent Smith, of tho local firo brigade ; Mr John Jamieson. chairman of the East Christ-church School Committee; and and two or three interested spectators. Mr S. C. Own, headmaster of the school, superintended tho demonstration, and it is but fair to add, in view of the cv.-client performances achieved, that tne children had no inkling -whatever previously that tho fire alarm was to be sounded.

The system adopted at the school is one which, as far as could bo judged by Thursdays demonstration, is reTnarkably effective in preventing patic and in emptying the school v.r.bin a few seconds. At the main school the alarm is given by a bugle ca'l, -*•-.*• uih.c<l both in front of and behind tbe luilding. .Different calls are used .-.ccoiding to the supposed seat of tho .-.utbref.k. and both pupils and teachers know by tho nature of tho call thro.igh vi-at exit they aro to pass when leaving the school. Thero wore over 500 children in tlie building at tho timo of Thursday's test, and they all had to pass through tho ono exit, but so perfect was their training and so complete tho arrangements, that tbe ivholo evacuation was completed in 2min 20sec. The children were then inarched back into school, and alter a proper interval a second alarm was given, tho call this timo indicating that the outbreak was near the centre of the building, and —iat both exits, tho east and west doors, would have to bo used. Tho use of I tho two doors materially reduced the timo occupied in emptying the building, in fact all the children wero out in lmin 32sec, only seven seconds longer than tbe record timo yet achieved*at a practice. The infant school was then visited, and an alarm given there not by means of the bugle, which it was explained would confuse the children by the different calls, but by the ringing of a bell. This school is much bettor designed for a rapid evacuation, several outside doors being available for the purpose, and tho 400 children assembled within marched outside in the smart time of 50soc. An insjject-ion of th© interior of the school buildings followed, and h_'© it was found that admirable as were the arrangements just witnessed fox getting th© children out safely and promptly, th© school itself not only lacked the very elements of firo prevention and extinction within, but actually contained archaic ' structural devices which, in case of panic, would spell disaster. Captain Hennah _ expert eye notod at once that although th© main doors of entrance and exit opened outwards, as thoy should, the class room doors swung inwards, ~as they certainly should not. He called the attention of Mr Jfamieson to this grave source of danger, I and th© chairman of tho committee promptly agreed that the necessary alterations ought; to bo made, amd- undertook to havo the matter dealt with at the next meeting of ihe committee. Then it was found that tho stairways at the eastern and western ends of the huiiding were narrow in design, badly placed, and contained ao many awkward twists and turns that jiothinjg oould prevent the piling up of heaps of human bodies if th© free stream of children downwards was checked oven for a moment and a blockage caused-. Most amazing is the fact that wbereas th© staircases could hay© been led direct, from the ends of tho corridor, and in a line with the corridor, thus avoiding any turns, the designers of th© building seem to have positively exercised thedr ingenuity in devising as complicated a stairway system as possible. However, it may be urged- on their behalf that that portion of the building was erected at a time when architectural designs differed from those of tbe present day, and when the possibility of stairs being used as firo escapes was not contemplated. Fortunate, indeed', has been the school that through the many years of its existence no calamity has occurred to'show in all its awfulncss the danger that existed. "They are the worst staircases I have ever seen," declared Captain Hennah, and he strongly urged on Mr Jamieson tho imperative and pressing necessity of having a cluin-ge mado at once. Mr Janiiesrm stated that the work had already been authorised, and would now bo pit in band without d-e-lav. At the infant school also it was found that the same defect of inward swinging class roam doors existed, and Captain Hoit-ah strongly recommended' that that defect should he removed. Ho i also pointed out that tbe school generally possessed liothingywhateoever in the way of fire extinction apparatus, ami ho advised that at least a dozen baud extinguishers should be procured and placed in proper posiitions about the buildings. An incipient firo could thoii be held in check until the arrival of the brigade.

At tho close of the inspection Captain Hennah eaid that the arrangements for getting the children out were splendid, but there were great defects and faults in tho buildings winch he hoped would bo remedied. Mr Jamieson. the chairman of tho committee., assured Onntain Hennah that theso defects and faults would bo attended to at tho forthcoming meeting of tho committee.

Sun.rintonden.fc Smith is sending a letter to the Education Board embodv•ing tho suggestions for improvements or doors and staircases that occurred to him as a result of tho visit.