Fire-proof schools
After Supreme Court gives schools in country six months to become fire safe, Mirror checks the state of schools in city. The result is appalling. Of 1,500 schools here, only 27 are FIRE SAFE
By Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Thursday, April 16, 2009 (Ahmedabad Mirror : http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article§name=News%20-%20City§id=3&contentid=2009041620090416040708303a3a25641)
It is time to pull the alarm on fire safety in schools. There are 1,500 schools in the city. But only 27 of them can offer protection to children in case of a fire. This is what Ahmedabad Mirror found out when it decided to check the number of city schools violating fire safety code. Mirror decided to check the issue after the Supreme Court, on Monday, ordered installation of fire-extinguishing equipment and adoption of other safety measures in all government and private schools across the country within six months.
Shockingly, the list of 27 schools (see box) excludes the names of several top schools in the city. Not a single municipal school figures in the list. The phenomenon is not unique to schools under the Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Board (GSHSEB). Even schools under the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and Indian Council for Secondary Education (ICSE), who charge higher fees, have not got certification.The schools are certified as fire safe by the Ahmedabad Fire and Emergency Services after they check the building, suggest fire-safety measures and conduct a final inspection to ensure their suggestions are implemented.
FIRE SAFETY NORMSS
aid Chief Fire Officer M F Dastoor, “Till now, we have issue No Objection Certifications to 27 schools and one college in the city. A number of schools in the city are built without proper fire walls, adequate exit doors or effectively located sprinkler systems. Here, schools are run in pols which are wooden structures with narrow corridors and staircases. These are disasters waiting to happen.”
Enumerating the safety measures that schools should follow, he said, “As per rules prescribed under the National Building Code of India, a school must have two staircases whose width depends on the size of the building. Every room must be well-ventilated. The building must have fire-extinguishing equipment and the staff should know how to use it. Mock drills should be conducted regularly to prevent panic among children during evacuation.
“Most fires in schools occur due to short-circuits. To prevent this, circuit-breakers should be installed and concealed wiring should be checked regularly. Schools with chemistry laboratories must ensure that wires, batteries, wood and other inflammable or explosive material is kept separate.”Dastoor said that there are schools in the city that follow fire-safety norms but have not got certification. Many schools are not even aware it is compulsory to get an NOC, he added.
IGNORANCE OR NEGLIGENCE ?
However, DEO P V Gadhvi asserted that no school can feign ignorance in this matter. “In 2005, the state government first issued a notice, directing schools to comply with fire safety norms. And each year, we send a reminder, but very few schools pay heed.
Following the Supreme Court order, the Ahmedabad District Education Office has decided to conduct a survey of school buildings during vacation and take action against schools that have ignored the rules completely. Meanwhile, AMC school committee chairman Manubhai Raval said, “We will raise the fire-safety issue at our next meeting which can now be held only after elections. We will ensure that the safety of students is not compromised.”
By Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Thursday, April 16, 2009 (Ahmedabad Mirror : http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article§name=News%20-%20City§id=3&contentid=2009041620090416040708303a3a25641)
It is time to pull the alarm on fire safety in schools. There are 1,500 schools in the city. But only 27 of them can offer protection to children in case of a fire. This is what Ahmedabad Mirror found out when it decided to check the number of city schools violating fire safety code. Mirror decided to check the issue after the Supreme Court, on Monday, ordered installation of fire-extinguishing equipment and adoption of other safety measures in all government and private schools across the country within six months.
Shockingly, the list of 27 schools (see box) excludes the names of several top schools in the city. Not a single municipal school figures in the list. The phenomenon is not unique to schools under the Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Board (GSHSEB). Even schools under the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and Indian Council for Secondary Education (ICSE), who charge higher fees, have not got certification.The schools are certified as fire safe by the Ahmedabad Fire and Emergency Services after they check the building, suggest fire-safety measures and conduct a final inspection to ensure their suggestions are implemented.
FIRE SAFETY NORMSS
aid Chief Fire Officer M F Dastoor, “Till now, we have issue No Objection Certifications to 27 schools and one college in the city. A number of schools in the city are built without proper fire walls, adequate exit doors or effectively located sprinkler systems. Here, schools are run in pols which are wooden structures with narrow corridors and staircases. These are disasters waiting to happen.”
Enumerating the safety measures that schools should follow, he said, “As per rules prescribed under the National Building Code of India, a school must have two staircases whose width depends on the size of the building. Every room must be well-ventilated. The building must have fire-extinguishing equipment and the staff should know how to use it. Mock drills should be conducted regularly to prevent panic among children during evacuation.
“Most fires in schools occur due to short-circuits. To prevent this, circuit-breakers should be installed and concealed wiring should be checked regularly. Schools with chemistry laboratories must ensure that wires, batteries, wood and other inflammable or explosive material is kept separate.”Dastoor said that there are schools in the city that follow fire-safety norms but have not got certification. Many schools are not even aware it is compulsory to get an NOC, he added.
IGNORANCE OR NEGLIGENCE ?
However, DEO P V Gadhvi asserted that no school can feign ignorance in this matter. “In 2005, the state government first issued a notice, directing schools to comply with fire safety norms. And each year, we send a reminder, but very few schools pay heed.
Following the Supreme Court order, the Ahmedabad District Education Office has decided to conduct a survey of school buildings during vacation and take action against schools that have ignored the rules completely. Meanwhile, AMC school committee chairman Manubhai Raval said, “We will raise the fire-safety issue at our next meeting which can now be held only after elections. We will ensure that the safety of students is not compromised.”
