Fire Drill (1982)

Use this leader to focus the picture and adjust the sound volume. The film will then be ready for correct projection. [Music] When the fire alarm sounded, everyone was worried. Would everyone get out? All right. Would everyone know what to do? What if an exit was blocked by fire or smoke? Well, there was lots of smoke and the fire department [Music] came. This fire could have been far worse than it was, but everyone got out safely, and there's a very good reason why. [Music] Everyone at this school got out safely because they had been practicing fire drills. Since fires often burn very fast and don't give us time to stop and think, we have to plan ahead and know what to do. That's why this school started practicing fire drills the very first week of school. Here's how Miss Wilson explained it. Now, class, when we hear the alarm, it's important we know automatically what to do. Now, first, this is the route we'll use to get out of the building. It's really very simple. We'll go out the hall to the left, through the corridor, and down the stairs. Now, you already know who our class leaders are, so let's practice what to do in case of fire. Is everyone ready? Yes. Let's pretend that this is the alarm. I was chosen to be the leader at the head of the line. If I'm absent, Karen will take my place. My job is to be the last one in line to see that everyone gets out. All right. I'm not supposed to stop or close windows or do anything else. If I'm absent, Mike will take my place. [Music] When Miss Wilson told me to, I opened the door and we all started out. We moved right along and we were careful to stay in line. When we were all out, I shut the door behind us. Now, what if your regular exit is blocked by fire or smoke? That's why you must have another way out, an alternate route. This alternate route should also be planned and practiced ahead of time because in a real fire emergency, you won't have time to decide what to do. As we just practiced, this is our regular route here. But if there's too much fire or smoke, we have an alternate route here and can go out this way. Now, this is our plan anytime we can't use the regular way. Now, let's practice our alternate route. So, we'll know two ways to leave the building. During a fire emergency, one of the problems you may have is that your exit may be blocked by a closed door. In that case, it's very important to know what to do. First of all, don't open the door until you follow these instructions. Now, in our classroom, we have windows in the doors and can see if there is fire or smoke in the hall. But if you're someplace that has a solid door and you can't see, what you should do is carefully put the back of your hand on the door. If it's hot, don't open the door because the fire could be on the other side. What you should do is turn around and use another escape route. A very serious problem during a fire is smoke. Many people don't realize it, but actually it's breathing the smoke, not the flames themselves, that hurt most people. This is because smoke is filled with dangerous gases, which can be very harmful if you breathe them. Since smoke rises, you should stay low to the floor and keep moving. There's a simple rule to remember. Stay low and go. To learn about smoke situations, Mr. Howard's class pretended there was smoke in the hallway. They got down low and remembered the rule, stay low and go. They practiced breathing through their shirts and blouses because this helps filter out some of the smoke and makes it easier to breathe. After the classes practiced, they were ready for a fire drill in order to see if everyone knows what to do in case of fire. Fire drills always come at unexpected times because fires are always unexpected. By making the fire drill a surprise, you'll find out how well you've practiced leaving the building quickly and safely. Let's see how well everyone did when the alarm went off and they had their first real fire drill. We all did just what we had learned in our practice drills. I got at the head of the line and the rest of the class lined up behind me. We didn't take anything with us when we went. All of the other classes formed their lines and went out, too. Everyone kept quiet and walked right along. At the top of the stairs, we got a big surprise. We had to pretend that this exit was blocked by fire, but we knew what to do. We turned around and followed our alternate route. [Music] My class ran into a problem on the first floor, but we remembered the rule, stay low and go. And that's just what we did. If there had really been smoke, we'd have gotten through all right because we knew what to do. Susie was in our class since we were on the first floor, and it was my job to wheel her out. All of the classes moved quickly and orderly out of the building. Each class had its own special meeting place away from the building. When the drill was over, a special bell was rung to let us know we could go back inside. Miss Wilson said we did pretty well on our first real drill. We felt we'd even do better the next time. [Music] There are times when the fire alarm may catch you in an unexpected situation. You might be in the cafeteria, the library, bathroom, or auditorium. That's why it's a good idea to look around for the doors and exit signs anytime you go into a new room. If you hear the fire alarm, leave everything behind and follow the same rules that you learned in class. The point is, don't always expect things to work out the way you've rehearsed them. For example, a fire may make it impossible to leave the building through either your regular or alternate exit route. Let's pretend that both your escape routes are blocked, and you can't use either of them. Then, what do you do? Let's see what Mrs. Anderson's class did when both their escape routes were blocked. If both your escape routes are blocked, go back into your room and close the door. If there's smoke, get down low and move close to the windows. [Music] If you don't see any smoke or fire out the window, hang a jacket or other piece of clothing out the window to attract attention so the fire department will know that you need help. If possible, open windows to help clear any smoke from the room. Besides knowing exactly what to do in case of fire so that everyone gets out safely, there's something else to know about. What if you're the one to discover a fire? What do you do? Well, here's how to report a fire. Now, if you smell smoke or discover a fire here at school, tell the first adult you see. That person will then notify the office by using an intercom, such as this one. Someone in the office will then sound the fire alarm bell and call the fire department. Some schools have smoke detectors, which are a big help in discovering fires. They signal a fire by sounding a loud noise. They also signal an alarm in the office. To help report fires quickly, many schools have fire alarm pull stations in the corridors. They are used to set off the fire alarm. As you have seen, this school practiced carefully so that they would be ready for any fire emergency. They knew the chances were slim that a real fire would actually happen. But when the alarm sounded, they knew what to do. Now, let's go back and see how everyone in this school got out safely when there really was a fire. Miss Wilson asked me to take some papers to the principal's office. I hadn't gone very far when I smelled smoke. I knew I was supposed to report it to the nearest adult, so I quickly went to Miss Wilson and told her [Music] office. This is Miss Wilson in room 6. We can smell smoke in the hall. You'd better sound the alarm and call the fire department right away. [Music] Because we had all practiced so carefully, we knew what to do. I took Jerry's place at the end of the line because he had gone to the library. I was kind of worried about him, but I was sure he knew what to do. I had just left the library when I heard the fire alarm, but I remembered what to do if I wasn't in my own classroom. I joined the nearest class, Mr. Howard's, and went out with [Applause] them. Heat. Heat. [Music] [Music] Fire. As soon as we reached our meeting area, Miss Wilson checked the attendance book to be sure everyone was there. Everyone was except Jerry. We couldn't see him anywhere. When we got to the place where they were supposed to meet, I asked Mr. Howard if I could join my own class. He gave me permission and I reported to Miss Wilson. I was sure glad to see my classmates and they were glad to see me too. [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] Before long, the fire captain signaled that the fire was [Music] out. [Applause] Our principal, Mr. Scott, thank the firemen for getting the fire out. Everyone at this school got out all right because they knew what to do. Now, your school may practice fire drills differently, but the important thing to remember is how to get out of the building quickly and safely in case of fire. This school knew what to do. Does your school [Music]