JEDDAH: The responsibility for ensuring fire safety in schools is usually shared by the Civil Defense and school principals. Following the deaths of more than a dozen students in a blaze at a government girls’ school in Makkah in March 2002, questions were raised over the safety in the Kingdom’s schools.
Emergency plans have been prepared in the aftermath of the tragic Makkah fire, but their implementation depends on the team spirit and the school management’s discretion.
Girls’ schools in the Kingdom are generally locked from inside during working hours for security reasons. Male security guards are stationed outside the entrance gates. The fire in Makkah raised questions over the ways girls’ schools are run because when Civil Defense firefighters reached the accident site the guard was not at hand to open the gates.
Capt. Hamza Mahfouz from the Civil Defense said his organization had been working to raise students’ safety awareness by holding video presentations and handing out leaflets.
“We distribute awareness leaflets in schools ... We give schools literature on how to use safety equipment and procedures,” he said, adding that the Civil Defense also provides schools guards trained to deal with emergencies.
“Every school has to have a permit from the Civil Defense. Safety includes emergency exits as well as fire extinguishers,” Mahfouz added.
However, according to one school principal, the school she started working for about a year ago does not hold safety programs, which are supposed to be held every semester or at least every year.
“The previous school where I worked used to run safety drills every semester but this school doesn’t even maintain the fire extinguishers as they are required to by law,” said Fatimah Abdul Latif.
“The Civil Defense job ends when giving instructions. The school administration is completely responsible,” she added.
On the contrary, fires still take place in schools, especially in those located in rural areas. According to a report published in a local newspaper recently, a primary school in Rafha has lacked fire safety features for more than two years.
The report said the school lacked smoke detectors, fire alarms, extinguishers and emergency exits.
One of the major reasons for students getting injured in the event of a fire is not the fire itself but the panic when fire alarms are sounded, a fact which emphasizes the need for increasing awareness by holding frequent fire drills.
More than two weeks ago, a fire broke out in a girls’ elementary school in Khamis Mushayt. According to a teacher, most injuries were caused by the ensuing panic and the rush to get out.
“In our school we are responsible with preparing a emergency safety plan, which is rehearsed annually,” said the principal of another school in Riyadh.
The principal, who asked her name not be published, said the safety plan includes preparing students to deal with emergencies.
“We try to make sure students understand exactly what to do in the case of a fire, but we can never predict what might be their reaction when it does happen,” she added.
She added that the Ministry of Education has a safety department that is responsible for fire extinguisher maintenance and other checkups.
Amal Zuhairi, a recently retired school principal who has worked in the education sector for many years and managed several schools, believes that things have improved since she first began working in schools.
“A lot has changed in the past five years,” said Zuhairi. She added that all government schools are now prepared and equipped with fire alarms, extinguishers and sand buckets.
“This generation is much more aware than before and so it’s easier for them to learn,” she said.
