As teachers we deal with multiple interruptions to our daily routine. One such interruption comes in the form of drills. Fire, earthquake, tornado, lockdown . . . the list is endless. When I was teaching in the states, we had a fire drill at least once a month. Though reassuring to know the system works, it was a huge disruption to the lesson that day. However, I have come into some information that makes me grateful for the simplicity of a fire drill in western culture.
As we are approaching the end of the school year, we finally had a visit from the municipality to talk about fire drills and fire safety. It is the end of the year! That isn't really the crazy part though. In order to have a drill . . . . what for it . . . . they set an ACTUAL fire. Yes, you read correctly, a fire is set inside the school to set off the alarm. No buttons to push here; our drills are hardcore.
It was just last week when we had our first fire drill and I found out their method. I laughed as I was being told by a colleague that they set a fire in the secretaries office. I did not know how else to react. Letting students light a fire in the school seems so ridiculously dangerous and crazy, that I thought it was a joke. However, yesterday as I left school they were testing the system to make sure everything would go well for the drill today. As I exited the front of the school, one of our bus drivers was standing on a chair with a lit piece of paper next to the smoke alarm. Yes folks, in order to have a drill here, we must first create fire. It was no joke before and now I am left hoping that they are practiced enough to not let it get out of control and end up turning into a real bad situation.
As we are approaching the end of the school year, we finally had a visit from the municipality to talk about fire drills and fire safety. It is the end of the year! That isn't really the crazy part though. In order to have a drill . . . . what for it . . . . they set an ACTUAL fire. Yes, you read correctly, a fire is set inside the school to set off the alarm. No buttons to push here; our drills are hardcore.
It was just last week when we had our first fire drill and I found out their method. I laughed as I was being told by a colleague that they set a fire in the secretaries office. I did not know how else to react. Letting students light a fire in the school seems so ridiculously dangerous and crazy, that I thought it was a joke. However, yesterday as I left school they were testing the system to make sure everything would go well for the drill today. As I exited the front of the school, one of our bus drivers was standing on a chair with a lit piece of paper next to the smoke alarm. Yes folks, in order to have a drill here, we must first create fire. It was no joke before and now I am left hoping that they are practiced enough to not let it get out of control and end up turning into a real bad situation.
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