Fight fire with these safety strategies.

Although schools are among the safest public buildings when it comes to fire, keep the odds on your side by following these expert guidelines.

"FIRE!"

The word strikes terror into the heart of most people, and the thought of a fire breaking out in your school - unfathomable. Fortunately, when it comes to fires in schools, it appears that there is some good news. They are among the safest buildings in the country, according to statistics from the National Fire Protection Agency

In 1996, NFPA reports a total of 578,500 fires in the U.S. Of those, 8,500 occurred in educational buildings including nursery schools, kindergartens, elementary and high schools. Compared with 428,000 fires in homes in that same year, schools seem to be a pretty safe place. Of those school fires reported, the majority are of "incendiary or suspicious origin," according to the NFPA. These fires are difficult to prevent because they are so unpredictable.

Because the public usually underestimates the potential for fire, administrators and facilities managers need to develop fire safety plans. Here are some key issues in developing an effective life safety plan, provided with the help of Gregory E. Harrington, NFPA fire protection engineer and James D. Lake, NFPA senior fire protection specialist.

Maintenance and Design

Maintaining the entrances and exits is the most important, and most challenging, step in ensuring the safety of school occupants in the event of a fire. If properly designed and maintained, entrances and exits will allow for unobstructed and continuous paths to the outside.

However, day-to-day business can play havoc with pathways. According to Lake, "Most well-constructed buildings alone do not present significant fire hazards; the people who occupy them do. The importance of maintaining an unobstructed path of. travel cannot be emphasized enough." Doors propped open, materials stored in "temporary" areas and activity in the hallways can create an obstructed pathway. Sprinklers can also be affected. Any obstruction to the spray pattern can jeopardize its efforts.

To address the importance of this issue, the National Fire Prevention Association created the NFPA 101, Life Safety Code[R]. The code identifies three components in the means of egress: exit access, the exit itself and exit discharge.

Exit access refers to the area that leads to an exit. This includes most areas of the building that do not fall into the exit or exit discharge categories. The exit itself is a portion of the means of egress that is separated from all other spaces of the building and provides a protected way of travel to the exit discharge. The exit is the only area strictly prohibited from any other use, including storage. The exit discharge is the portion of the means of egress that leads from the exit to the public way.

Normally, this means the exterior of the building, but it can be interior depending on the floor plan. This element can not be overlooked and must maintain the egress a safe distance from the building. This includes sidewalks, stairs and ramps. Along with clearing obstructions, including snow, lighting should also be maintained.

Maintain Fire Protection Systems

The Life Safety Code relies on features such as automatic sprinkler systems and fire alarm and detection systems. In fact, sprinklers are so effective, NFPA statistics show that there has not been a multiple-death fire in a building with sprinklers in which the system was not somehow impaired. Sprinklers also have the benefit of paying for themselves over the life cycle of the building through reduced insurance costs.

Once they are installed, fire alarm systems and sprinkler systems need to be maintained on a regular schedule. Critical components of the system include the fire alarm pull stations, sprinkler system valves and fire department connections. Keep these accessible in storage areas and on the exterior of the building.

Evacuation Plans And Drills

Although fire drills are often considered annoying, disruptive or a "waste of time," they remain the most effective way to ensure the safe and orderly egress of students and faculty in the event of a fire. Awareness and education are also critical to reduce a district from liability in such an event.

NFPA 101, Life Safety Code, contains requirements for exit drills in almost all of the occupancies it covers and requires participation by the occupants.

STRUCTURE FIRES AND PROPERTY LOSS BY PROPERTY USE - 1996 ESTIMATES

Property Use                   # Structure Fires    Property Loss

Public Assembly                    16,000           $330,000,000
Educational                         8,500           $65,000,000
Institutional                       8,500           $24,000,000
Total Residential                 428,000           $4,962,000,000
Stores and Offices                 27,500           $665,000,000
Industry, Utility, Defense         18,000           $733,000,000
Storage in Structures              41,000           $949,000,000
Special Structures                 31,000           $205,000,000

Total                             578,000           $7,933,000,000

Fire And Smoke Barriers

Designed to create a physical barrier to restrict products of combustion, fire and smoke barriers are critical to the structure of a school. Effective barriers help slow the spread of a fire to allow safe egress for occupants. Fire resistance ratings of fire barriers and the construction of smoke barriers are established by the NFPA's Life Safety Code. Opening and penetration protection is included in these requirements. Openings within a barrier can be protected by either a door or a window. Because doors are the most commonly used opening in a fire or smoke barrier, they are also the most likely to become damaged or altered (i.e. propped open for ventilation or to move furniture, equipment, etc.).

Fire doors are required to be self-closing or automatic closing with self-latches, and should not be propped open with wedges. Penetrations in barriers can be maintained with caulking or dampers. While caulking is usually completed during initial construction, dampers need to be tested and maintained.

Safety During Renovation

Creating an additional wing or updating existing buildings can have a big impact on fire safety. It affects the means of egress, storage of materials, fire protection systems, evacuation plans and opening of the fire and smoke barriers. As a result, every effort made by an administration and faculty to develop and implement a successful fire safety program could be compromised. During a renovation project, the requirements of NFPA's Life Safety Code remain in effect for building occupants.

Advances In Product Technology

One fairly recent product developed for school safety is a delayed egress device. This allows school officials to secure exterior doors without compromising occupant safety. To exit, a building occupant must push on the releasing handle for three seconds, an alarm sounds and the door opens after 15 seconds. This prevents students from leaving the building unless there is an emergency. At the same time, it prevents access from unwanted individuals. This system is safer than the traditional use of "elephant chains" and padlocks to secure exterior doors.

The automatic sprinkler industry is constantly advancing its technology to make systems more reliable and more affordable.

Contact either the National Fire Sprinkler Association at 914/878-4200 or the American Fire Sprinkler Association at 214/349-5965 for the latest in technological developments.

NOTE: Statistics in this article are quoted from the following reports published by the NFPA Fire Analysis and Research Division:

Fire Loss in the U.S. in 1996, Michael J. Karter, Jr., September 1997.

Fires in Educational Facilities in the United States, 1981-1995 Annual Averages and Published Incidents from 1980-1997, Kimberly D. Rohr, June 1998.

FIVE WAYS TO PLAN FOR FIRE SAFETY

1. Maintain a safe, continuous and unobstructed path to the outside of the building.

2. Maintain fire alarm and sprinkler systems. Test connection to local fire station periodically.

3. Conduct regular fire drills. You and your staff should know how to evacuate the building in an emergency.

4. Test fire doors regularly. Make sure they are not propped open.

5. Ensure compliance with all fire safety regulations during a renovation or construction project.

Lisa Jackson is a freelance writer based in Flower Mound, Tex.