Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 184, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 August 1913 — Will Require Tire Drills In Schools. [ARTICLE]

Will Require Tire Drills In Schools.

The state fire marshal’s department is preparing to issue a bulletin about the time the schools open, concerning the necessity for fire drills. This bulletin will promulgate a set Of rules and regulations for fire drills to be observed in all the schools in Indiana. These rules wijl be adopted only after a thorough investigation has been made and after the counsel of men and women experienced in school work has been obtained. The law which created the fire marshal department specifically provides that It shall be the duty of the fire marshal and his assistants to “require teachers of public and private schools and educational institutions to have one fire drill each month and to keep all doors and exists unlocked during school hours.” It is said that there are many schools, especially in the smaller towns and rural communities, where the fire drill is absolutely unknown. With the aid of the large force of assistants, such as Is provided by law, it is believed that the fire marshal will be enabled to enforce the new law. All chiefs of fire departments in incorporated towns, clerks of towns having no fire chief, and township trustees, are named as assistants to the fire marshal, and are obligated to help enforce sueh provisions of the law as that requiring fire drills.. One point which has been suggested during the conferences on the aubjer t, Is that fire drill rules, so far as practicable shall be observed in regular dismissals of schools. This refers to such rules 'as that boys shall precede girls because boys are apt to trample the girls during a panic resulting from actual fire and that girls are sure to be frightened by boys coming down behind them. Another such rule which might be applied at regular dismissals is that the teacher should follow the children instead of preceding them, in order that in case of fire, no pupil might be left behind. The fire marshal’s department will also give special attention to fire escapes during the winter, to see that they are available for the purpose intended. Fire drills and regular dismissals by way of the fire escapes will be required in order that the children may become acquainted with this method of escape It will be required that the fire escapes be kept free from obstructions and that when there is ice or snow on them, they be sprinkled with ashes or sand. Another feature which will be an innovation In many places where a form of fire drill has been observed, will be that the pupils will be required to continue their march out and away from the school in different directions. In many Instances it is said that fire drills ended at the front doors and the pupils were required to return at once to their desks.