Back to School: Same Old Story on Fire Safety

Recently, I was speaking with Terry McDermott (former Chief Fire Officer for Derbyshire and now part of the National Fire Sprinkler Network). The conversation turned to school fires, and he reminded me of three that happened in Derbyshire during a four-month period in 2020.

Terry later spoke with the head teacher of one of those schools. The school has since been rebuilt and reopened. Thanks to a decision taken by Derbyshire County Council, the new building has been fitted with sprinklers.

What struck me from this conversation wasn’t the rebuilding itself, but everything that happened in between. The head teacher remembers the event vividly, from the moment she received a call from the alarm company asking if there was a fire (when she assumed they would be calling the Fire and Rescue Service) to standing outside watching firefighters try, unsuccessfully, to stop the flames from destroying part of her school. She remembers being kept informed about what was happening, but the school burned down in front of her.

Continuity of education

In the immediate aftermath, she convened a meeting in the local church. The foremost concern? Continuity of education. Children began home schooling, then 200 pupils were split between four different schools. This meant buses every day, teaching assistants supervising travel and anxious parents and pupils facing the disruption. Some children worried whether their temporary schools might also burn down. Fire drills became traumatic for the youngest.

Even lunch periods became an issue. The catering system had to be reworked with food prepared centrally, then distributed to four schools that didn’t have the space or capacity to handle the extra meals. Problems cropped up constantly, requiring staff to step in.

Those members of staff faced longer commutes, fewer resources, heavier workloads and mounting pressure. Staff retention became an issue with several choosing to leave. Eventually, temporary buildings were brought in and remained in place for nearly two years.

While the major rebuild decisions were handled by others, the head teacher and her staff were still drawn into discussions on school layout and design, all while trying to hold lessons together. The mental, logistical and emotional toll was relentless.

Real impact is human

Listening to Terry relay that conversation, it struck me how often the impact of a school fire is reduced to ‘things’ or money. Consultations on fire safety requirements, including sprinklers, often focus on removing measures to cut costs. When asked why, the answer is usually about money.

This story is a reminder that the real impact is human with the disruption to education, the distress to children and the relentless pressure placed on staff.

Recently, I saw an article from the Department for Education championing the fact that it had reduced the level of non-attendance in schools, with an estimated £2 billion in future earnings unlocked. A lost day in school is estimated to cost £750 in lost earnings across the career of a typical student. It made me think about the school in Derbyshire, which as a headline cost £6.9 million to rebuild, but what was the true cost when we factor-in all of the impacts?

When we speak of schools, the immediate safety of those on-site is always the priority. However, we also need to think of the longer-term impacts. I was heartened to hear that the new rebuilt school is fitted with sprinklers. I could not help but think if they had been fitted in the first place this would have significantly reduced the resulting damage, in turn leading to minimal disruption to education. The focus could have remained where it belongs on learning, limiting future impact, and not on surviving the aftermath of a fire.

Until the fire safety guidance reflects that reality, we will keep having this conversation every September.

Thomas Roche is Secretary of the Business Sprinkler Alliance (www.business-sprinkler-alliance.org)