# Why this stupid new fire drill method at school? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 14, 2011, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-this-stupid-new-fire-drill-method-at-school/596231 "2011-09-14T01:39:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2011, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-this-stupid-new-fire-drill-method-at-school/596231/81 "2011-09-16T03:25:32Z")
> [@ZenBeam](#): > > All the scenarios involve getting out quickly and more-or-less orderly. Your choices are really > > 1. Have a meeting point that depends on where you currently are, but people get to their meeting points quickly. > 2. Have a single meeting point assigned to each person, but that person may have farther to walk to get to that meeting point. > 3. Don’t have meeting points at all. > > 3 is a problem in that no one knows if anyone is still in the building. 2 is probably best in a work environment where the individuals are all responsible for themselves, and may be in a variety of locations. I suspect it’s flowing into schools because it’s better in other situations. It may not be as clearly the best in a school, but IMHO, it’s still a better choice. 2 is the same as having them go to a homeroom meeting point, really. ‘I am Juliette and I’m in 9PR, which means I go to basketball court three.’ I’ve seen the panic when something trivial like a big spider appears in a classroom. If there were a real fire, the panic would be enormous. Having everyone know exactly what to do and where to go is the only way to deal with it- you don’t want people being forced to think through their timetable while there’s smoke coming down the corridor. ---
**Author:** ![constanze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f9ae1b/32.png) [@constanze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/constanze)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2011, 9:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-this-stupid-new-fire-drill-method-at-school/596231/82 "2011-09-16T09:50:58Z")
> [@SciFiSam](#): > > I’ve seen the panic when something trivial like a big spider appears in a classroom. If there were a real fire, the panic would be enormous. Having everyone know exactly what to do and where to go is the only way to deal with it- you don’t want people being forced to think through their timetable while there’s smoke coming down the corridor. This makes me wonder: are there any studies whether fire drills work at all to prepare people in the event of a real fire? How many children take the drill seriously? I certainly know it’s easy to walk down in orderly rows without confusion if you know it’s a drill, the teacher knows it’s a drill, there’s no smoke and no fire anywhere. But how does that prepare for the real confusion of a real fire with smoke filling the corridors? Not that I’m saying teachers should light little fires before sounding the drill - but maybe some smoke bombs that are harmless? Maybe instead of fire drills, bomb and other threats (those are becoming more real, and evacuation procedure is similar, right?) Like a couple of dressed up cops show up as scare and later the teachers look if the students stayed calm? Or would this increase the chance of accidents due to panic? Surely some people have considered how to make training more realistic to better prepare while still keeping it a safe training exercise, yes? ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2011, 9:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-this-stupid-new-fire-drill-method-at-school/596231/83 "2011-09-16T09:57:43Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > This is the 21st century. WHy not use a tech approach? Like a phone app. Each teacher gathers a bunch of students together and enters names. The information from all the teachers phones is merged. Presto! you got a full attendance. Works beautifully if the fire started with a short circuit at the server. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2011, 10:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-this-stupid-new-fire-drill-method-at-school/596231/84 "2011-09-16T10:08:57Z")
> [@constanze](#): > > This makes me wonder: are there any studies whether fire drills work at all to prepare people in the event of a real fire? How many children take the drill seriously? I certainly know it’s easy to walk down in orderly rows without confusion if you know it’s a drill, the teacher knows it’s a drill, there’s no smoke and no fire anywhere. But how does that prepare for the real confusion of a real fire with smoke filling the corridors? > > Not that I’m saying teachers should light little fires before sounding the drill - but maybe some smoke bombs that are harmless? Maybe instead of fire drills, bomb and other threats (those are becoming more real, and evacuation procedure is similar, right?) Like a couple of dressed up cops show up as scare and later the teachers look if the students stayed calm? Or would this increase the chance of accidents due to panic? > > Surely some people have considered how to make training more realistic to better prepare while still keeping it a safe training exercise, yes? We had two actual fires last year- one in the 6 th grade public school cafe (only 6th grade) and one in the middle school my daughter attends. In both cases the kids did great, despite knowing the danger was real. Exited just like they were supposed to with no panicking. Happily they were both small, contained fires, but these were younger kids and were scared. Anecdotally, the drills seemed to have prepared them. ---
**Author:** ![pabstist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e99b99/32.png) [@pabstist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pabstist)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2011, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-this-stupid-new-fire-drill-method-at-school/596231/85 "2011-09-17T02:47:03Z")
The school had the first fire drill today with the new system, and sadly I was not there, sigh. From what I have heard, it was a huge failing cluster fuck. For example- I forgot to mention that there is a tech center attached to the high school, with students from our school and 6 others. The students in tech center classes stayed with the tech center teacher, and the advisory teachers had no idea where they were, not knowing their schedules. Can’t wait to get more details to share here. ---
**Author:** ![RaftPeople](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@RaftPeople](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RaftPeople)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2011, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-this-stupid-new-fire-drill-method-at-school/596231/86 "2011-09-17T04:13:40Z")
> [@SciFiSam](#): > > 1. Fine if the subject teacher knows all the students, … I was going to let this drop because you and I must have different school experiences and are thus making different assumptions, but because you mentioned it again, I’m curious. I grew up with, and my kids experienced, schooling in which the first period of the day is a subject teacher as well as every other period of the day. All periods are equal, all teachers have X groups of students to memorize. Whether you are the first period teacher or the 7th, it’s all the same. What were your experiences that cause you to bring up this point about “subject teachers” not knowing the students as well as \_\_\_\_\_\_? I put “subject teachers” in quotes because those are the only teachers I’m aware of, there aren’t any teachers that aren’t “subject teachers”, at least in my experience. If a school wanted to have dedicated “homeroom teachers” they would have to hire about 60 additional teachers (for the average 3 year high schools I am familiar with). ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2011, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-this-stupid-new-fire-drill-method-at-school/596231/87 "2011-09-17T04:24:33Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > At least it makes more sense than the alternative to “duck and cover” we had to do back in the 50s. If a nuclear warhead were to drop on our school, we were to march single-file into the hallway, go to our lockers, open the locker doors so they’re at right angles to the wall, and stand between the locker doors until the crisis was over. I assume the kids on the end would get half their bodies nuked. That reminds me of the old Soviet joke describing the Red Army regulations on what the soldiers were required to do in case there was a nuclear attack alert. The regulation was to extend your arms and hold your rifle out so that the molten metal wouldn’t drip on your uniform. ---
**Author:** ![california\_jobcase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2011, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-this-stupid-new-fire-drill-method-at-school/596231/88 "2011-09-17T04:55:50Z")
I taught school for 26 years. The only problem with exiting with the teacher the kids have at that time would be at lunch. Just let the students go to the spot they’d be at with the teacher they go to after lunch and the problem’s solved. Posters have mentioned times when the kids aren’t in class during the school day- other than lunch, just when are these times? ---
**Author:** ![Sparky812](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Sparky812](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparky812)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2011, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-this-stupid-new-fire-drill-method-at-school/596231/89 "2011-09-17T05:04:05Z")
> [@pabstist](#): > > Maybe I should simplify my original question- > > During a fire alarm or bomb threat evacuation is it best, safest, etc to- > > 1. Go out the nearest door and walk in a straight line as a group to a meeting point. > 2. Go out any door and ramble around the building individually until you get to the meeting point. > 3. Get the hell out of the building ASAP and run for the hills. > > I guess that boils it down in a nutshell. Forget about the details of attendance. > > And something I/we forgot to think about is bomb threats. Should students be walking around the building if a bomb could potentially explode? The students aren’t told to stay 1,000 feet away from the building, just to walk around it. In the case of a real fire, the fire department will ask 2 questions: “Is everybody out?” and is “Everybody accounted for?” Depending on the answers this will change their response and their priorities. You stated that: > [@](#): > > The school now has an advisory period before/after lunch, with the same kids for all four years. I would assume that this was so that in addition to the teacher, the students could also aid in accounting for each other during an emergency. In my school board we do not evacuate for a bomb threat or similar emergencies,but go into a lockdown procedure. The rational being that a bomb would most likely be situated in a common areas, hallways, stairwells, etc.. For example, hidden in a locker or garbage can, in a washroom or at an entrance to the building. Therefore, to have all the students crowding the halls, stairwells, and doorways is unsafe. They are safer to remain in their classrooms until the situation can be diffused and/or evacuated individually. This has also cut down on prank calls of bomb threats because there is no evacuation. ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2011, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-this-stupid-new-fire-drill-method-at-school/596231/90 "2011-09-17T14:50:58Z")
> [@california\_jobcase](#): > > I taught school for 26 years. The only problem with exiting with the teacher the kids have at that time would be at lunch. Just let the students go to the spot they’d be at with the teacher they go to after lunch and the problem’s solved. > > Posters have mentioned times when the kids aren’t in class during the school day- other than lunch, just when are these times? I have heard of some schools having a “Free Period”, presumably periods that students needing remedial classes (or who want to take extra electives) could do so without needing summer school. Mainly though, this would be the breaks between classes where students would go from one class to the next. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2011, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-this-stupid-new-fire-drill-method-at-school/596231/91 "2011-09-17T16:28:58Z")
My high school had few free periods a day, if you didn’t have extra electives or such. You chose if you wanted lunch, go to library, be outside on the grass. Medium sized public school back in the 80s. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2011, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-this-stupid-new-fire-drill-method-at-school/596231/92 "2011-09-17T16:55:18Z")
> [@constanze](#): > > This makes me wonder: are there any studies whether fire drills work at all to prepare people in the event of a real fire? How many children take the drill seriously? I certainly know it’s easy to walk down in orderly rows without confusion if you know it’s a drill, the teacher knows it’s a drill, there’s no smoke and no fire anywhere. But how does that prepare for the real confusion of a real fire with smoke filling the corridors? > > Not that I’m saying teachers should light little fires before sounding the drill - but maybe some smoke bombs that are harmless? Maybe instead of fire drills, bomb and other threats (those are becoming more real, and evacuation procedure is similar, right?) Like a couple of dressed up cops show up as scare and later the teachers look if the students stayed calm? Or would this increase the chance of accidents due to panic? > > Surely some people have considered how to make training more realistic to better prepare while still keeping it a safe training exercise, yes? That’d be hilarious. 😃 Sadly, I can’t see it happening. I bet there are studies on whether fire drill is effective or not, but I’m too tired to look them up. Knowing where the fire exits are and where the assembly points are - knowing from having been there before, not just being told so having to picture the route in your mind - would have to help at least a bit, I would have thought. > [@RaftPeople](#): > > I was going to let this drop because you and I must have different school experiences and are thus making different assumptions, but because you mentioned it again, I’m curious. > > I grew up with, and my kids experienced, schooling in which the first period of the day is a subject teacher as well as every other period of the day. All periods are equal, all teachers have X groups of students to memorize. Whether you are the first period teacher or the 7th, it’s all the same. > > What were your experiences that cause you to bring up this point about “subject teachers” not knowing the students as well as \_\_\_\_\_\_? I put “subject teachers” in quotes because those are the only teachers I’m aware of, there aren’t any teachers that aren’t “subject teachers”, at least in my experience. If a school wanted to have dedicated “homeroom teachers” they would have to hire about 60 additional teachers (for the average 3 year high schools I am familiar with). The homeroom teacher would see the kids every day. The subject teachers probably wouldn’t see them as often as that - perhaps as little as once a week. All the teachers have subjects they teach, but from the student’s POV Mr Jones is their English teacher, Ms Hall is their maths teacher and Mrs Smith is their homeroom teacher; she might also teach them in a class (meaning she’d know them even better), or she might just take them for homeroom. I agree that it would be insane for a school to hire specific teachers for homeroom; you misread me. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2011, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-this-stupid-new-fire-drill-method-at-school/596231/93 "2011-09-17T17:47:57Z")
> [@california\_jobcase](#): > > I taught school for 26 years. The only problem with exiting with the teacher the kids have at that time would be at lunch. Just let the students go to the spot they’d be at with the teacher they go to after lunch and the problem’s solved. That tells the student where to go, but doesn’t tell the teacher which students to look for. It’s likely that a high school has multiple lunch periods. How is the fifth period teacher to keep track of the fact that Jimmy has lunch fourth period and therefore the teacher should expect him to assemble with his fifth period class while Sally is in the teacher’s fourth period class and has lunch third period ? How is the teacher even supposed to know if Jimmy or Sally came to school that day? ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2011, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-this-stupid-new-fire-drill-method-at-school/596231/94 "2011-09-18T05:49:01Z")
> [@SciFiSam](#): > > The homeroom teacher would see the kids every day. The subject teachers probably wouldn’t see them as often as that - perhaps as little as once a week. Ah, **now** I get it. There are still a lot of schools, my own high school included, in the US that have never adopted block scheduling, and have all their subjects every single day for 50 minute classes. To people more familiar with this sort of schedule, suggesting that the homeroom teacher would know kids better is kind of odd since the kids see their other teachers just as often. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2011, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-this-stupid-new-fire-drill-method-at-school/596231/95 "2011-09-18T14:11:06Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > Ah, **now** I get it. There are still a lot of schools, my own high school included, in the US that have never adopted block scheduling, and have all their subjects every single day for 50 minute classes. To people more familiar with this sort of schedule, suggesting that the homeroom teacher would know kids better is kind of odd since the kids see their other teachers just as often. Wouldn’t that mean you could only take 5 or 6 subjects a year? That’s a bit limiting. Or do the subjects change each semester? If the homeroom teacher wouldn’t know them better, it’s still better for them to be the one taking attendance after a fire because you have to choose somebody, and taking attendance is a large part of their job anyway. Then the kids all know exactly where to go to at any time of day, the teachers know exactly who’s going to do the checking and who they themselves should check, and it’s all done and dusted. In the event of a real fire I’d hate to have several hundred panicked teenagers unsure of where they’re supposed to go. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2011, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-this-stupid-new-fire-drill-method-at-school/596231/96 "2011-09-18T14:20:01Z")
My son has block scheduling. He is a junior and takes AP Physics, precalc, AP history, English, photography (half year, will take photog 2 second half), Spanish and personal finance (requirement). Physics is a double period to do labs, so that would be a free period as well. He has lunch, gym during the second half of the year and 3 study hall periods over each week (1 every other day or so). I’m curious how non block scheduling would differ. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2011, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-this-stupid-new-fire-drill-method-at-school/596231/97 "2011-09-18T15:06:40Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > My son has block scheduling. He is a junior and takes AP Physics, precalc, AP history, English, photography (half year, will take photog 2 second half), Spanish and personal finance (requirement). Physics is a double period to do labs, so that would be a free period as well. He has lunch, gym during the second half of the year and 3 study hall periods over each week (1 every other day or so). > > ``` > I'm curious how non block scheduling would differ. > > ``` Non-block scheduling would be something like the schedule I had in high school. 8 50 minute periods per day. if you were scheduled for English first period , it was at the same time every day and you attended every class every day. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2011, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-this-stupid-new-fire-drill-method-at-school/596231/98 "2011-09-18T15:18:01Z")
> [@doreen](#): > > Non-block scheduling would be something like the schedule I had in high school. 8 50 minute periods per day. if you were scheduled for English first period , it was at the same time every day and you attended every class every day. I wasn’t clear. I know what non block is, but the question was asked if those kids had fewer subjects per year. I put my sons schedule up as a basis of comparison for # of classes. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2011, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-this-stupid-new-fire-drill-method-at-school/596231/99 "2011-09-18T15:22:56Z")
Traditionally you have 6 periods a day and you attend every class every day at the same time. Some classes – e.g. general English, math, science, history, band/orchestra, etc. – are two-semester classes. Other classes are one-semester – e.g., phys ed, typing, drivers ed, drama/theater, yearbook, and specialized literature, science/math, and humanities (British lit, U.S. government, trigonometry, western civ, etc.) ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2011, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-this-stupid-new-fire-drill-method-at-school/596231/100 "2011-09-18T16:00:18Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > I wasn’t clear. I know what non block is, but the question was asked if those kids had fewer subjects per year. I put my sons schedule up as a basis of comparison for # of classes. And I lost part of my response. Assuming that a student attends for 8 periods per day, non-block scheduling would allow for 7 full-year subjects and lunch.Some subjects might be taken for only one semester - for example music the first semester and art the second so a student might have 5 or 6 full year subjects and 2 to 4 single semester subjects but the total number is also going to depend on how you define subjects - if a kid has economics first semester and sociology the second , is that two subjects or two courses in a single subject of social studies ? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-this-stupid-new-fire-drill-method-at-school/596231.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-this-stupid-new-fire-drill-method-at-school/596231.md?page=6)