textfiles/reports/ACE/fire.txt

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          ARRoGANT                CoURiERS      WiTH     ESSaYS

Grade Level:       Type of Work           Subject/Topic is on:
 [ ]6-8                 [ ]Class Notes    [Essay on Safety in our  ]
 [x]9-10                [ ]Cliff Notes    [Schools.                ]
 [ ]11-12               [x]Essay/Report   [                        ]
 [ ]College             [ ]Misc           [                        ]

 Date: 06/94  # of Words:1379  School: Private Co-Ed  State: NY
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                 Safety in our Schools

     Safety in the schools can mean life and death in many situations.  One
way is fires.  With such things as thin walls, flammable interior, or
exterior, schools could turn into a flaming inferno.  All schools should be
routinely checked for things such as escape routes from the building and
the ease of opening and closing these routes.  They also should be clear
from any interfering things nearby.  Schools should have such things as
walls inside and outside that do not have flammable material. Often this is
the reason that many brick buildings burn.  Many think brick is the safest
but often is inter-mixed with interiors that burn easily.  If such
buildings had non-flammable interiors, then such things might not happen.

     Schools should go through safety procedures with the children
thoroughly at least once a month.  The schools should try to communicate
with the children about fires and try to get the point across clearly.
Such things that should be mentioned are that children should leave the
building quietly, even this is probably the hardest thing to do.  The
schools should try to teach the kids that running might get you out, but
could injure or kill many more, some of them being friends or people you
care for such as brother's or sister's even if they don't like them now,
they'll miss them when they die.  When the kids get out of the school, they
should go to a selected place to wait for others and teachers to take
authority.  The children should then proceed to try to stay clear of the
firemen and police officers that might soon arrive because of the
consequences which might encounter the child if she/he gets in their way.
The Firefighters could lose their concentration with such distractions
could cost someone's life.  When the children interfere with the
firefighters, they could cause an explosion and be struck by equipment,
colliding with a vehicle, etc.  They would also slow down the firefighters
often causing in yet another life or to the firefighter themselves.

     As in a house fire, your class should take precautions if you see
smoke coming in your room or down the hall.  If it's coming in your room,
then you should close the door immediately if it's open or feel it if it's
cold to see if its hot.  If its not hot, open it slowly and proceed
outside.  If it's hot or there's smoke coming inside, close the door.  Look
for a fire escape if your above the first floor and exit onto it.  If there
is none, then wave something noticeable out the windows and try to get
someone's attention.  If you're on the first level, then just climb out the
windows.  Make sure you go out in some sort of an orderly fashion because
if there is shoving or pushing, then people could get caught up, trampled
on, or knocked back causing havoc.  If you all leave patiently then you all
have a better chance of getting out together and alive, non-cooperation
could lead to people getting caught up or left behind, or getting out to
late and being killed by the smoke coming in.  Try to prevent something
like this from starting by first trying to notice a new smell and see if
it's smoke, if all agree then proceed to investigate.

     These are some very good tips on how to better prepare yourself and
this is how I feel about fires and how they should be taught and helped be
prevented.

                      Bibliography

1. New York Times, 2 December 1958

2. "Urgent Message-Safe Schools," Newsweek, 15 December 1958

3. "A Nation's Haste to learn From a City's Sad Lesson," Newsweek,
   15 December 1958

4. "Uses A Home Escape Plan," Lesson Plan #4

5. "Helps the Fire Department" Lesson Plan #9

6. "Fire Safety in the Home," 1976


     Article #1 - 90 Perish in Chicago School Fire

     On December 1, something very unexpected happened in Chicago. A fire
broke out killing 87 children and three nuns.  It was at Our Lady of the
Angels Roman Catholic Parochial School.

     Normally children would use the fire drills to exit a building calmly
and quietly, but not this time.  Children forgot these drills because of
the panic.  Some jumped out windows and others trampled over others to get
out first and alive.

     There were rescue efforts made by the nuns, teachers, priests,
janitors, and passer-bys who rescued more than 1,000 children.  One class
was found dead at their desks.

     They have found no evidence of arson even though there was a
suspicious man outside after the school went ablaze.  There was also a
thirty gallon metal can sealed at both ends at the foot of the basement
stairway.

     Mothers pleaded to join the rescue efforts, but were held back by
policemen.  Some mothers had coats and went to meat their children in the
schoolyard.


       Article #2 - Urgent Message - Safe Schools

     Newsweek covered a different aspect of the tragedy.  While the New
York Times covered the families and the actual accident, Newsweek covers
how to prevent this from happening in the future and the precautions that
are being taken.  Some areas such as Boston, Detroit, New Haven, and
Baltimore ordered either an immediate inspection or a survey of all their
schools.  New York ordered an inspection of over 1,500 schools closing ten
until they can clean themselves up.  Parents were also demanding to know
the safety precautions at their child's school.  People have over the years
thought of a brick building as safe from fire, but nearly 70% of fires
occur in such buildings because of combustible interiors such as woodwork
which helps the fire grow.  The most fires are caused by Overloaded wiring
or a short circuit as 29.1 percent, cigarettes and matches are 11.6%,
defective heating systems are 9.7%, 7.3% is vandalism, and spontaneous
combustion is 4.9% based on 300 school fires.  There was a checklist
included with the article saying school officials and parents should be
asking: 1) Are the building inspected at least once a year by authorities?
2) Is there a suggestion box in which people could report hazardous things
they find?  3) If the school has a sprinkler system, is it checked
regularly?  4) Are heating plants and fuel rooms separated from other
portions of the building by fire proof structures?  5) Are steam and hot
water pipes covered with heat resistant materials?  6) Are wastepaper
chutes completely fire resistant?  7) Do exits have panic bar locks?  8) Do
exits open outward?  9) Can open window screening be easily unfastened from
the inside?  10) Are all stairways and other vertical openings in the
building enclosed by fire-resistant partitions?


    Article #3 - Fire. Thirty-Eight O Eight Iowa...

     This article had other differences than the previous article. This
article explained how the firemen and policemen were handling the
situation.  Lt.  Stanly heard the call about the fire at 2:42 and he
answered it racing to the trucks at the Fire Department.  A minute later,
the janitor, Raymond, was running torwards the locker rooms because he
heard some kids who were banging on the door.  The door wouldn't open so he
busted it and helped a few kids out.  He made five heroic trips like that
one then he passed out.

     At 2:44, Patrolman Matthew Landers, skidded up in front of the school.
He noticed the first firemen coming after looking at the sight of kids
lying on the ground, most unconscious.  At 2:45, Hook and Ladder Co.  got
there with five men and Lt. Charles Kamin.  He helped rescue children
falling out of windows after he went around the school looking at bodies on
the ground.  At 2:51, The five- alarm was set off getting all available
equipment to the scene. Some men were sent to direct traffic so there
wouldn't be any collisions of rescue equipment.  Soon all the streets
around the school were filled up with heavy equipment and cars.

     When they got all set up, they were soon passing children out through
windows even while one window ignited into a mass of fire. He then started
organizing the routine work, breaking the roof to let the gasses out and so
on knowing there was nothing more that could be done for the kids.