Fire Alarm Procedures Policy
POLICY CODE 5.4
POLICY NAME Fire Alarm Procedures Policy
UPDATE BY DBA
REVIEWED ON May 2024
NEXT REVIEW May 2025
DEVELOPED BY/ AUTHOR Head of College / DBA
In the event of a Fire Alarm anywhere in the College :
All Adults:
Should ensure that all students in their room leave in an orderly fashion and follow the stipulated evacuation routes to the correct assembly points. All staff should model silence on evacuation, unless providing emergency directions. Evacuation routes are posted in all rooms. Please note that evacuation routes and assembly points may change if under threat of fire. Staff must use alternative exits and assembly away from points of harm in such cases.
If a child or member of staff is not fully mobile or a wheelchair user every effort should be taken to remove them from the building with everyone else. If this is not possible, a CLT member should be informed as soon as possible so further action can be taken.
Checking the Building on Exit:
Staff (see Appendix A) should conduct a quick sweep of the toilets, other rooms and corridors before leaving the building during the evacuation. They should first call into the toilets of the opposite gender before completing the check. Staff responsible for performing the sweep is summarized in Appendix A –Responsible Staff.
• The Foundation Stage classes line up on the side of the field nearest to the road, facing the school buildings.
• Students and Tutors/Form teachers: adjacent to apartment building along long side of field Students may sit down once registered.
• All other staff: on the field along the edge of the gymnasium building at the specific named points (academic staff, support staff, catering, cleaning, visitors). Academic staff should group in departments at their line.
Please see the map at the end of this document for a visual guide to evacuation points.
In extreme weather conditions (severe cold, rain, lightning) CLT may direct evacuating students to shelter by the side of the gymnasium / in the gymnasium in the case of no obvious fire risk. Students in the swimming pool should get out and assembly by the side nearest the fire exit while the fire risk is assessed.
Stairwell s:
Students must maintain silent and orderly movement on stairwells and through to the evacuation points. Students must be aware that evacuation routes may be changed depending on the location of a fire and congestion in the building.
Staff should be alert to doors along an evacuation route that may be locked at the floor in error. If these can be opened, they should be (usually at the bottom).
Automatic Fire Doors and Screens :
Students and staff should stand well clear of the fire doors, which either close from the walls or from the ceiling (see floor markings). S tudents and staff should not panic if they are on the wrong side of these barriers when the alarm is sounded. Rather than try to ‘beat the barrier’, they should join another evacuation route and their own class when outside the school.
Evacuation of School Premises :
If the threat to the College is serious, the Head of College may give teachers instructions for evacuating to an external location. In such cases, the registers would have to be taken again on arrival at this location and the above procedures repeated. The assigned place for an offsite evacuation is the road towards AcroRiver after having exited the school gate. Staff should be appointed to stop traffic in this emergency situation.
Temporarily or permanently disable d staff or students
If a student or staff member has a permanent or temporary disability (for example, a broken leg) that may prevent them from quickly leaving the building in the event of an emergency, then a Risk Assessment must be developed for that individual. The Risk Assessment should include any procedures that can be implemented to mitigate against the risk of the student/staff member being in the building.
Fire Alarm during Activity Time :
After dismissal to activities, the normal evacuation procedures will be followed with staff taking registers for their own activities.
Fire Alarm Before or After School :
All people should assemble in the normal way on the field. The buildings will be thoroughly checked as per normal drills. The school entrance should be shut to prevent entry. Registers cannot be taken.
All Clear:
Only the Head of College or his/her designated deputy may sound the ‘All Clear’ and allow students & staff to re-enter the building.
APPENDIX A - Staff Responsibilities
School Receptionists and School Administrators
Collect the Class / Tutor Group Registers, parent contact list, Visitors’ Signing In / Out Book, Visiting Music Teachers Register and staff lists (including Catering and Cleaning staff) from Reception and Security, and take them to the assembly points. These should be passed to each Deputy / Assistant Head to hand out to their relevant Class Teachers / Tutors. The loud hailer should be passed to the Head of College
Class Teachers and Form Tutors
Teachers should take the register of their classes/forms, with the teacher standing at the front of the lines closest to the school. The registers will be handed to the teachers by Heads / Deputy / Assistant Heads. If any students are missing the teacher should immediately hold up a red card hence informing the appropriate Head of School. When all class teachers/form tutors have completed their register and all children are accounted for, they should hold up a green card and wait for their register to be collected by the Head of School.
Deputy Heads (PS) / Assistant Heads (SS)
Each Assistant / Deputy Head should help distribute class lists to the relevant Class Teachers / Tutors.
The Assistant / Deputy Heads should take the register for any class/form where the teacher is absent. They should immediately report any missing children to the Head of School. When all children are accounted for they must report back to the appropriate Head of School.
Heads of Primary and Senior Schools
The Heads should be in a position to see all the teachers at the front of the lines. They should allocate staff to take the registers in their school when there is no assigned cover teacher on duty.
They should immediately collect any information on missing children from the class teachers/tutors and relay the information to the Head of College.
They should inform the DBA of any missing class teachers/tutors from their school.
EA to the DBA and Head of Student Support Services
The EA to the DBA should conduct a roll call for all administraiton staff. The Head of Student Support Services should receive complete the staff roll call. The Heads of School (tutor and form teacher staff) / David Gormley (all non-tutor / non-form teacher staff) / EA to the DBA (all support staff) will inform the DBA if all members of staff are present. The DBA should inform the Head of College of any missing staff.
Specialist Staff Teaching a Class/Internal Cover/Supply Teachers
Take the class to their correct assembly point and wait with them until the class teacher arrives. Start the roll call if the register arrives before the class teacher. Assemble with other specialist staff once the class teacher arrives.
Teachers covering for a class internally should take this class outside to the assembly point, inform the appropriate Head of School and then go to their own class. The Head or Deputy Head will ask a specialist teacher or Teaching Assistant to do the register for the absent class teacher.
Class teachers / Tutors on Non-Contact Time
Proceed to the assembly areas as soon as possible and take over your class from the specialist teacher.
Head of College
• Make decision to telephone the Fire Brigade, if this has not already happened, and initiate evacuation to another area if required.
• Liaise with the Heads of School to determine if any students/staff are missing
• Liaise with the DBA to see if any staff or visitors are missing and account for known absences.
• Inform the Operations Manager of any missing students or staff or other persons thought to be on the premises at the time of the alarm or inform them that all people are present.
• Give the ALL CLEAR signal when informed by the emergency services/Operations Manager that there is no fire or any other danger.
College Nurse
She should be located on the field at the top end of the sports field nearest the gym. She should have a first aid kit and should render first aid to anyone injured until the arrival of an ambulance.
Operations Manager
• Liaise with the emergency services to determine the extent of the threat
• Determine any missing students, staff or visitors from the Head of College.
• Inform the emergency services of missing students, staff or visitors.
• Act as liaison between school and emergency services
• Have the gate at the end of field opened
Facilities
Manager
• Switch off gas supplies.
• To coordinate the sweep of the school, utilising facilities, operations & security staff, to ensure there are no staff or students left behind.
• Inform the Head of College and emergency services of the nature of alarm or the presence of a fire, if known.
• Advise the Head of College to give the All Clear Signal when sure that there is no fire or any other danger or advise evacuation to another area if there is a fire.
It is expected that the roles of the Operations and Facilities Managers are fully interchangeable, in other words if one is absent from school then the other will fulfil his/her duties.
Visitors to the Site
Visitors should be informed to assemble on the field by the side of the gym. All parents should be told to evacuate the building and move to the sports field.
Security Guards
Guards should ensure that no person enters the school until the all clear has been received and that the gates are kept clear for the arrival of the fire services. They should sweep the school as directed by the Operations Manager. They should also co-ordinate with the Parking Attendants in the underground car park to ensure the evacuation of people not connected to the school. The Head of Security checks that all Security Guards have been accounted for and informs the Operations Manager
Deputising for Other People’s Roles
• Head of Primary or Senior School for Head of College
• Deputy / Assistant Heads for Heads of School
• Director of AMC for the DBA
• Supply teacher or specialist teacher for an absent class teacher
• Any other suitable arrangements if multiple staff are away.
RESPONSIBILITY SUMMARY
For Students
Class teachers and tutors are responsible for ensuring all students within their class are accounted for. If any students are missing the Head of College and the DBA must be immediately informed.
For Staff
The EA to the DBA is responsible for ensuring all support staff are accounted for. The Head of Student Support Services is responsible for ensuring all academic staff are accounted for. If any staff are missing the Head of College and the DBA must be immediately informed.
For Visitors
The Receptionists are responsible for ensuring all visitors are accounted for. If any visitors are unaccounted for the Head of College and the DBA must be immediately informed.