To say that fire can cause serious damage is a massive understatement. Fire can be truly devastating to buildings, people, and communities. So make sure your school is protected with appropriate security systems, including high quality school fire alarms.
1. Have A Fire Plan
It's important that you think about what in the event of a fire, should the teachers do or what should the students do? Secondly, ask yourself “do the students and staff know what they should be doing". After all, if the worst happens and a fire sets ablaze with the school fire alarm beeping loudly, if people don't know what to do, they'll panic. Think – there's a reason why shouting “fire" in a crowded room is one of the more commonly mentioned exceptions to free speech.
So it's essential that you have a detailed fire plan that everyone is aware of. After all, fire is dangerous, but a panicked and unorganised evacuation can have disastrous results. The panic could cause a stampede which could result in people with trampled; causing significant and potentially fatal injuries.
So, when considering your fire safety and security precautions, make sure that you have a well thought out fire plan and it's effectively communicated and rehearsed with both students and staff. Ideally fire drills should be carried out at least once a term and during different times of the day. If you would like to make your drills more effective, you could run the drills with restricted areas in order to simulate the effect of a compromised escape route. For example, communicate to staff members during the fire drill that an area of the school is out of bounds because that is where the 'simulated fire' is located.
Finally, you need to make sure that your nominated fire wardens are property trained. It's not sufficient to simply nominate members of staff to operate fire extinguishers in the event of an emergency; they need specific training to do so.
2. Install A High Quality Fire Alarm
Whilst an alarm won't prevent fires from occurring, they can quickly alert you to any dangers. That being said, all fire alarms are not made equal and different types of fire alarms can be more advantageous in different situations. This is why it is very important to speak to a professional fire alarm installation business and pick the fire alarm that is best suited to your building and the needs of your school.
For example, there are some fire alarms which can provide alerts before smoke is even visible. These alarms are known as air sampling systems. This system actively pulls air from the room into a detection chamber where it tests for the presence of smoke. This allows the detector to alert those on site to the presence of smoke during the very early stages of combustion, resulting in alerts before smoke is even visible.
Another great choice is the analogue-addressable alarm. This style of alarm is ideal for those with complex areas, as whilst they can be more expensive than more conventional alarms each detector has its own unique address. This makes it much easier to know where the alert is coming from. Being able to identify which area of your school has triggered the fire alarm can be very useful as that information can be passed onto any emergency responders arriving on site.
3. Utilise Passive Fire Protection Measures
Passive fire precautions are precautionary measures that involve delaying fire and smoke, and also assist the structure to protect from early collapse.
One could argue that to a certain extent, every building has passive fire protection in the form of walls and doors as they will delay the spread of smoke, however you can find walls and doors on the market that are specifically designed to help delay the spread of the harmful products produced during combustion. These fire rated walls and doors are usually categorised as 30, 60, or 90 minute walls/doors will provide a higher degree of protection than normal walls and doors. However, in order to provide this protection, it is essential that fire doors remain closed. After all, a fire door isn't doing to provide a barrier for the smoke if it's left wide open.
Our team has over 30 years of experience operating within the fire detection industry. During this time we have provided installations for local authorities, educational properties, and housing associations, so we have the both the skills and dedication to provide expert fire detection solutions to schools in Bedford, Bedfordshire, Milton Keynes, and London.
Our experts are on hand to provide a wide range of solutions including both conventional, analogue-addressable systems, and early warning systems suchas Air Sampling detectors. Additionally, all of our alarm installations are guaranteed parts and labour for Two Years and our EMS Radio fire systems are fully EN54-25 third party approved and carry the CE Mark confirming compliance with all applicable EU directives.
Should the unthinkable happen and a fire start at your school, can you rely on your current fire preparations to give your staff and students enough time to evacuate? The damage caused by school fires isn't restricted to the immediate physical aftermath; it can seriously impact the lives of staff, students, and parents alike.
If you would like more information regarding our services for installation services for school fire alarms in London please don't hesitate to get in touch with a member of staff. You can speak to our team by calling 01234 825018, or you can contact us by email by sending any questions you have to us at info@diamondsecurity.co.uk.
