Fire Safety at School: What Every Parent Should Ask
After the 2004 Kumbakonam school fire, India's Supreme Court set fire safety rules for every school. Here's what they mean for your child.
In 2004, a fire started in the kitchen of a school in Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu, while the midday meal was being cooked. Many children died. In 2009 the Supreme Court ruled that every school must have fire extinguishers and alarms, keep kitchens away from classrooms, hold regular fire drills and have safety audits.
The National Disaster Management Authority's School Safety Policy (2016) builds on this. It is legally binding, and it asks each school's management committee to carry out a safety check, including fire safety, every three months.
Questions to ask your school
- Does the school have a valid fire safety certificate (NOC) from the fire department?
- Are there fire extinguishers on every floor, are they in date, and do staff know how to use them?
- Are there fire alarms, and are the stairs and exits wide, clear and never locked during school hours?
- Where is the kitchen for midday meals or the canteen, and is it away from classrooms?
- When was the last fire drill, and when is the next one?
Teach your child three things
- Leave quickly. Don't stop for bags or books.
- Stay low under smoke. The cleaner air is near the floor.
- Go to the meeting point and stay with your teacher, so they can count everyone.
Ask your child what happened in their last drill. If they can't remember one, ask the school when the next drill is.
Sources
- Avinash Mehrotra vs Union of India (2009), judgment on school safety (opens in a new tab) (Supreme Court of India)
- Lok Sabha answer on the NDMA School Safety Policy, 2016 (opens in a new tab) (Ministry of Education)
This post is general information. Rules vary by state and school board, so ask your school about its own plan.