Editor’s Note: This is part of an ongoing series exploring why the school has some of its regular practices.
Fires can cause a lot of destruction and harm to people and property. Milton Area High
School, like other schools across Pennsylvania, regularly practice evacuating so everyone knows
how to leave the building safely in case one does happen.
Fire drills are mandated by the state to be performed monthly in every school district in
Pennsylvania. A fire drill is an event that requires the safe removal of all students, teachers, and
staff from a school building.
Fire drills dates and times are determined by the school specifically the principals and
assistant principals, according to Assistant Principal Mr. William Campbell.
“I sit down with the middle school’s principal or call him up and I say next week we are
supposed to have nice weather, and I ask when he wants to schedule the drill,” Mr. Campbell
said. “We try and schedule the drills to be different times of the day to prepare students better for
a fire drill.”
In the event of a fire, the school has many tools, such as alerts to cell phones, fire
departments and police departments to get the word out of a fire immediately, Mr. Campbell
said. These include magnetic doors that automatically lock to keep a fire contained and intercom
system to alert all of a fire in the building, he added. He said teachers and staff are trained to look
for students in the event of a fire. Fire extinguishers and fire alarms are located throughout the
building, according to Mr. Campbell.
Fire extinguishers are located all around the school in glass cases in the event of a fire.
When these cases are opened, it alerts the fire department of a fire outbreak at the school. Fire
extinguishers are used to stop a fire before it can spread, he added.
“Fire extinguishers are regularly checked by a professional to make sure they are up to
date. In fact, the little tag on the extinguishers has the date they were last checked on them,” said
Mr. Campbell. “All teachers are required to learn how to use a fire extinguisher by law.”
During fire alarms are also tested to ensure that they work properly in the event of an
actual fire. The magnetic doors also have sensors to be able to detect a fire and will automatically
shut to try and contain the fire,” said Mr. Campbell.
“Fire drills are timed, and it usually takes three to four minutes for all students to be
evacuated from the building,” Principal Mr. Michael Bergey said. He added that the school
conducts the drills without the help of the fire department.
“Milton High School has never had a fire, or at least one that would alert the fire
department,” Mr. Bergey said.
“We take fire drills very seriously to make sure we sweep the floors along with
teachers that are trained to find students; we have checks and balances in place,” said Mr.
Campbell
