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FIRE SAFETY IN SCHOOLS
BUILDING OUR FUTURE: SCOTLAND'S SCHOOL ESTATE

4 PLANNING

PLANNING RECOVERY FROM A MAJOR FIRE

1. Fire precautions do not end with the outbreak of a fire. After a major incident, the restoration of lost facilities can take from two to five years. The action taken in the first few hours can save thousands of pounds and speed the recovery process. The time to consider what action to take is before the fire starts and not as the school is burning. Making a contingency plan will allow time for discussion, consultation and the full briefing of all those involved. Even if there has only been an informal discussion between local schools, it is help if a fire occurs. The following points are worth considering:

security: a major fire will disable alarm systems and affect the physical integrity of the buildings. The school site should immediately be made secure. To avoid losses, theft for example, of portable equipment, light fittings, radiators and pipe work.

salvage: if salvage work is started promptly then much material and equipment can be brought back into full operational order, saving the cost of replacement and waiting time. Such material needs to be removed to a safe place where it can be repaired and stored ready for reuse.

health and safety: it is possible that a fire might affect parts of the structure containing asbestos, chemicals in laboratories, gas cylinders, and other flammable substances. The location of any of these potential hazards should be noted on the fire plans and these plans should be made available to the emergency services.

accommodation: if classrooms have to be taken out of use, is there sufficient spare accommodation remaining or will it be necessary to find space in another school or provide temporary classroom accommodation? If arrangements have been made beforehand, other schools may be able to help with the loan of replacement equipment and materials.

If the school is to be closed immediately after a large fire, how will this information be communicated to pupils and their parents? What arrangements are to be made to look after children whose parents are at work?

meals: if the kitchens are taken out of use, what arrangements can be made to provide meals?

transport: if classrooms in another school are used, it is possible that pupils will require transport. How quickly can this be arranged?

services: water and power supplies to the remaining part of the school may be affected and will need to be checked. Until the telephone lines are restored it might be necessary to consider using mobile phones.

records: loss of records can mean severe delays. Many are now held on computer. Are these being backed up at the end of each working day, or at least weekly? Are back-up copies held in a secure off-site location? This should include a copy of the contingency plan.

construction work: if the building, or parts of it, need to be made safe, who will carry out this work? Who will co-ordinate reconstruction work?

insurance: who will inform the insurance company? Who will liaise with the loss adjuster and agree the insurance claim?

contact list: a list of emergency contacts should be made and a copy should be kept off-site. Proper planning, supported by staff training, can minimise the effects of a major fire and bring the school back to normal as quickly as possible. The costs of disaster planning are low, but the benefits can be incalculable.

DESIGN

2. The design and protection of school buildings and sites is an important issue, given the tremendous loss suffered. Poor building design, together with poor compartmentation of existing schools, can allow a relatively small fire to be set undetected, which quickly leads to a major fire resulting in severe damage to the school. Preventing fire damage in new and existing schools requires a multi-pronged approach and needs to consider the security of the site, the building design, fire compartmentation and fire suppression systems.

Fire suppression systems

3. A suitably installed sprinkler system will not only prevent the fire from spreading, but in most cases actually extinguishes the fire. The damage is generally limited to the room of origin and the school will quickly return to normality after the fire. The provision of sprinklers should be considered for new schools and for existing high risk schools to provide an optimum level of protection should a fire occur.

4. A sprinkler system is best regarded as a combined detection and suppression system. They have a proven track record over many years of successfully controlling fires in commercial buildings. The number and distribution of the sprinkler heads is arranged to cover the area to be protected. With a school, this is usually the entire floor area. Sprinklers are expensive to install retrospectively, however they are extremely cost effective when included in the initial building costs of a new school. Once installed the maintenance costs are very small.

Security

Security Risk Assessment and Fire Safety

5. Since arson is the main cause of school fires, there is a considerable overlap between fire prevention and site security. How to Combat Arson in Schools²³ published by the Arson Prevention Bureau, contains a vulnerability assessment, a checklist for the Head Teacher and a monthly checklist for the site manager. The following checklist is based on the risk assessment method for school security given in the booklet, Improving security in schools.²⁴

6. Alarms are commonly found in schools and provide protection from theft; they also detect those intent on causing damage. If possible the alarm should be linked to a remote signalling centre where the lines are continually monitored. The system must be carefully designed so as not to cause unwanted signals that waste police time.

7. Access to a school should be controlled. CCTV cameras and a suitably sited monitor can be of use, though it should be assumed that a CCTV camera itself will prevent antisocial behaviour or a crime occurring. A properly used CCTV system will greatly assist security staff in policing remote and high risk areas. Care is needed when designing and incorporating a CCTV system into a security programme. The user must be aware of the requirements of the system and of the choice of cameras available. Advice on CCTV should be sought from your local Police CCTV Liaison Officer.

8. Other controls such as the provision of adequate fencing will improve the security of the school. Fencing provides a physical barrier to trespassers and demarcates the school's boundary. Fencing can be used to restrict access to play areas, such as those for the very young.

9. Other considerations are the standard of windows and doors. If IT equipment has to be located on the ground floor, then the level of security on the access doors should reflect the risk from intruders.

10. However, security measures must not compromise the safe evacuation of the school in an emergency. Increasingly, roller shutters are being provided on school exits to secure the building at night. These shutters must be managed effectively and opened if required for means of escape purposes. If these shutters are over doors required for means of escape, a building warrant is required and should be submitted to the local authority for the area the school is situated. Cleaning staff are particularly at risk if these doors are closed while only they occupy the building.

11. The provision of lighting for security purposes requires careful consideration. Areas that are overlooked by houses or a roadway may benefit from security lighting. However, if the area to be protected cannot be seen, even when illuminated, there is little point in providing it.

12. Good community involvement and parental support for a school has a positive benefit on security and should be encouraged. If the school is seen as an essential part of the community it may discourage attacks from vandals and arsonists.

13. Your local Police Architectural Liaison Officer can provide information and should be consulted when new schools are proposed and when building alterations are required. The above measures will go some way to prevent fires in schools.

SECURITY CHECKLIST

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