School Fire Safety

Inspections

Ben Stevens

Fire Protection Specialist

Town of Colonie

Department of Fire Services

Objective

At the conclusion of this program the student

will recognize common violations found

during school fire safety inspections and the

steps they can take to ensure that the

deficiencies are corrected.

Fire Safety Inspections

Required annually by NYSED for school to

obtain & maintain a Certificate of Occupancy

8 NYCRR 155.8 Fire and building safety

inspections

Conducted by code enforcement official or

code compliance technician certified by State

Fire Administrator State Ed will not allow school district employees who are

codes certified to conduct inspections in their own district

Fire Safety Inspections

Public Schools

11 month cycle

Nonpublic Schools

Prior to December 1 of

each school year.

Authority Having Jurisdiction

NYSED is the AHJ for public schools

Any questions or concerns should be directed to

the Education Department’s Office of Facilities

Planning Fire Safety Unit

518-474-3906

Private Schools are the local code

enforcement officers responsibility

Fires in schools

Lake View School

Collinwood (Cleveland) Oh.

March 4, 1908

172 students, 2 teachers and 1 rescuer died

New London Texas

March 8, 1937

Explosion & fire in school due to gas leak in heating system

500 people mostly students died

Fires in schools

Our Lady of Angels School

Chicago Il.

December 1, 1958

92 students and 3 nuns died

Fires in schools

In the United States, an average of 6,650 structure

fires occur annually in educational institutions where

students attend during the day only.

These fires are responsible for approximately 90

injuries, fewer than 5 fatalities, and $90 million

dollars in property loss.

In New York State during the period 2000 to 2004,

six public school buildings sustained fire damage in

excess of $27 million dollars.

Fires in schools

Leading Cause

Cooking Equipment

Intentional

Area of Origin

Bathroom

Kitchen or Cooking

equipment

Contained trash or

rubbish

Peak times

Weekdays

11 a.m.- 2 p.m.

Fire chief: Locked doors trapped

students during blaze

While some of the 20 to 30 boys managed to flee the dormitories

without incident, many were left banging on locked or otherwise

obstructed doors near the school entrance. One door had a broken

push bar; one was padlocked at the base; and two other doors were

locked from the outside. The boys banged on the two sets of

double doors until a man with a key appeared, unlocked a door and

let the students out.

The fire chief, however, stood behind his comments that his

firefighters found students pounding on the door trying to escape

the burning two-story building, which includes dormitories, and

that the locked doors endangered not only the students but also the

firefighters responding to what's being called arson.

Lack of reporting

Only a small percentage of fire incidents in

schools are reported to the fire department.

EVERY school fire shall be reported to the

fire department no matter how small. FC401.3 Emergency forces notification. In the event

an unwanted fire occurs on a property, the owner or

occupant shall immediately report such condition to the

fire department. Building employees and tenants shall

implement the appropriate emergency plans and

procedures. No person shall, by verbal or written

directive, require any delay in the reporting of a fire to

the fire department.

Blocked Emergency EXIT doors &

Windows

Emergency rescue

windows are free of

obstructing bars, screens,

grills or classroom

equipment….

FC1027.2 Reliability. Required

exit accesses, exits or exit

discharges shall be continuously

maintained free from

obstructions or impediments to

full instant use in the case of fire

or other emergency…

Camouflaged Emergency EXIT doors

FC1027.4 Furnishings and decorations. Furnishings, decorations or

other objects shall not be placed so as to obstruct exits, access thereto,

egress therefrom, or visibility thereof. Hangings and draperies shall not be

placed over exit doors or otherwise be located to conceal or obstruct an

exit. Mirrors shall not be placed on exit doors. Mirrors shall not be placed

in or adjacent to any exit in such a manner as to confuse the direction of

exit.

Electromagnetic Locks

Not permitted by State

Education Dept.

Electric strike with

mechanical override is

permitted.

Snow piled behind

Emergency EXIT doors

FC1027.3 Obstructions.

A means of egress shall

be free from obstructions

that would prevent its

use, including the

accumulation of snow

and ice.

Combustible storage in hallways

Storage of teacher supplies not permitted outside of

classrooms.

Only students’ personal belongings are allowed in

cubbies.

Waste containers not permitted in exit corridors or

stairway landings.

Personal Belongings

FC803.3.1 Storage in corridors and lobbies. Clothing and personal

effects shall not be stored in corridors and lobbies.

Exceptions:

1. Corridors protected by an automatic sprinkler system

2. Corridors protected by an smoke detection system

3. Storage in metal lockers provided the minimum required egress

width is maintained.

Combustible artwork in hallways

No More than 20% of wall area

FCNYS 803.3.2

Items placed in hallways obstructing

egress

FC1027.4 Furnishings and decorations.

Furnishings, decorations or other objects shall

not be placed so as to obstruct exits, access

thereto, egress there from, or visibility thereof.

Fixed and Portable Gates

State Ed. does not

allow any gates (fixed

or portable) in the

building.

FC1027.3

Obstructions. A means

of egress shall be free

from obstructions that

would prevent its use…

Fixed and Portable Gates

Fire doors wedged open

Doors with closers are not rendered inoperable by removal of

the closer or the installation of any non-automatic hold open

device

PMC703.2 Opening protectives. Required opening protectives shall

be maintained in an operative condition. All fire and smokestop doors

shall be maintained in operable condition. Fire doors and smoke

barrier doors shall not be blocked or obstructed or otherwise made

inoperable.

Town of Colonie

Department of Fire Services

Extension cords & Multi-plug

adapters FCNYS 605.4 & 605.5

Allowed with restrictions

Combustible storage piled to the

ceiling Maintain 24” clearance

in non-sprinklered 18”

in sprinklered buildings

FCNYS 315.2.1

Fire Alarm Systems

FC901.6 Inspection, testing and

maintenance. Fire detection, alarm and

extinguishing systems shall be maintained in

an operative condition at all times, and shall

be replaced or repaired where defective.

Fueled Equipment

FC313.1 Fueled

equipment. Fueled

equipment, including

but not limited to

motorcycles, mopeds,

lawn-care equipment

and portable cooking

equipment, shall not be

stored, operated or

repaired within a

building.

Orderly storage in building

Storage in storerooms

and classroom areas is

orderly and restricted

to items of obvious

value and usefulness.

FC315.2 Storage in buildings. Storage of

combustible materials in buildings shall be

orderly…

Clearance to Equipment

FC605.3 Working space and clearance. A

working space of not less than 30 inches in

width, 36 inches in depth and 78 inches in

height shall be provided in front of electrical

service equipment.

Combustible storage

Space under stairs and

landings is not used for

storage unless

separated by a 2 hour

fire rated construction

FC315.2.2 Means of

egress. Combustible

materials shall not be

stored in exits or exit

enclosures.

Assembly events

Overcrowding (FC1028.5), blocked exits (FC1027.3),

and lack of access for emergency equipment

as a result of blocked fire lanes(FC503.4) during

assembly events are common complaints to

NYSED

Assembly events

History has many examples

of tragedies that have

occurred when buildings

filled to over-capacity

experience emergencies.

Station Night Club – RI

Stouffers Inn - NY

Beverly Hills Supper

Club – KY

Coconut Grove – MA

Iroquois Theater – IL

Assembly events

The first smell of smoke or the failure of the

lighting system causes immediate panic.

Blocked exits and obstructions in corridors such

as tables and chairs cause confusion and further

panic.

Experience has shown that in these terrible

tragedies, victims rarely die from the actual

effects of fire, but instead from smoke inhalation

or trampling during the confusion.

Assembly events

To compound the disaster, the ability of

emergency responders to reach the scene is

often severely compromised by parking in fire

access lanes in front of buildings.

FC503.4 Obstruction of fire apparatus

access roads. Fire apparatus access roads

shall not be obstructed in any manner,

including the parking of vehicles...

Scenery & Sets

BC410.3.6 Scenery.

Combustible materials used

in sets and scenery shall be

rendered flame resistant in

accordance with Section

805 and the Fire Code of

New York State. Foam

plastics and materials

containing foam plastics

shall comply with Section

2603 and the Fire Code of

New York State.

Scenery & Sets

Wood Construction

and flammable

decorations not

permitted.

Anything that is

constructed of

flammable materials

must be flame treated. FC805.1 General. In

occupancies of Groups A, E, I

and R-1 and dormitories in

Group R-2, curtains, draperies,

hangings and other decorative

materials suspended from walls

or ceilings shall be flame

resistant in accordance with

Section 805.2 and NFPA 701 or

be noncombustible.

Scenery & Sets

Scenery & Sets

Safe Design & Construction

The New York State Fire & Building Codes

contain provisions for the maintenance and

safe operation of buildings.

Constructing a safe building does no good if

the features that provide that safety are

ignored or intentionally disabled by the

building occupants.

Safe Design & Construction

Principals need to understand that the state

code holds the building operator responsible

for any violations of the safety provisions of

the code.

What can you do? Ensure school staff knows the school’s fire protection

system.

They should be familiar with the type of fire protection systems are in the school.

Know the location of pull stations and fire extinguishers and whether you school is protected by fire sprinklers.

What can you do? School Fire Drills

Staff should actively participate in monthly school fire drills.

Fire drills, as REQUIREDby Section 807 of the Education Law, will ensure rapid and orderly occupant evacuation of school buildings at the time of a real fire emergency.

12 per school year

8 prior to 12/1

FC 404 & 405 – Fire Safety & Evacuations Plans and Evacuation Drills

What can you do?

Provide a list of the violations.

The report can be used by school staff for self-

education and self-evaluation on a regular basis to

identify and correct unsafe conditions which may

develop at any time.

Used in this manner, minimum safety standards can

be met and maintained on a continuing basis.

What can you do?

Awareness of, and concern for fire and life

safety

It must come from the demonstrated attitude of

the school board and top school administrators.

When these individuals refuse to tolerate unsafe

practices or conditions, and insist on a continuing

program for fire safety in the schools, building

administrators, their staff and students will follow

their lead.

What can you do?

Awareness of, and concern for fire and life

safety cont.

A developed concern & daily observance of

building conditions should help to eliminate

unsafe conditions such as:

Exits blocked with furniture or supplies

Combustible displays in exits

Poor housekeeping practices

FC406 Employee Training & Response Procedures

What can you do?

Awareness of, and concern for fire and life

safety cont.

When all building occupants are alert for fire

hazards, and act to correct hazards as soon as they

are discovered, a higher level of fire and life

safety can be maintained throughout the year.

FC907.1 FIRE ALARM AND

DETECTION SYSTEMS. This section

covers the application, installation,

performance and maintenance of fire

alarm systems and their components in

new and existing buildings and structures.

Buckman Heights Elementary

School Fire

Fire rated door to the principals office. Closed during the fire.

Buckman Heights Elementary

School Fire

Principal’s office showing limited damage as a result of the fire rated door.

Buckman Heights Elementary

School Fire

Office supply storage door. Fire rated door left open the night of the fire.

Buckman Heights Elementary

School Fire

Kodak copier and data network. Copier and all wiring is not salvageable.