Fire Alarm Guidelines: Preventing Mass Casualties in an Active Shooter Situation
As school shootings continue to plague the U.S. education system, shooters are weaponizing critical communication devices in order to lure students and staff from their classrooms into hallways and other open spaces. While the typical response to an active shooter situation is to seek shelter in a locked classroom, responses for other emergencies, such as fire drills, are the exact opposite. In the event of an active shooter situation, pulling a fire alarm to signal an emergency may very well do more harm than good as students and staff expected to exit their classrooms becoming prime targets for the shooter.
In 2018, Nicholas Cruz pulled a fire alarm at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida for this exact purpose. As a former student at the school, Cruz used his knowledge of the school’s fire alarm response procedures to lure his victims out into the open. As a result, 17 people were killed and 17 more were injured in the now-infamous attack.
Recently, the Indiana Legislature has taken steps to reduce the number of fire alarm-triggered active shooter incidents by issuing updated guidelines on how schools should respond to activated fire alarms. In the event of an unexpected fire alarm, schools are required to have a plan in place that allows for further investigation of unannounced alarms while continuing to adhere to fire and building codes. According to a statement released by the Indiana State Fire Marshal, this investigation must occur within the first 15 seconds of alarm activation and must be completed by a “designated school official with proper training.” From the point of investigation, schools are allowed to shelter in place for up to three minutes in order for the designated school official to determine whether an active shooter is present on school grounds. If no threat is found within the three-minute time frame, schools must evacuate everyone in the building.
Recommendations from the State Fire Marshal
In the event of an unplanned alarm, schools are advised to do the following:
Refrain from barricading or blocking any doors within the building.
Have a plan in place to address unplanned activated fire alarms.
Eliminate publicly accessible fire alarm pull stations “in accordance with applicable building and fire safety codes.”
Monitor fire alarm pull stations whenever possible.
Install a fire panel with a “positive sequence fire alarm” setting that delays alarm activation for three minutes.
To learn more about school safety guidelines during unplanned fire alarms, visit the Indiana Department of Homeland Security’s website. For more information on how to equip your school with positive sequence fire alarms and pull station monitoring devices, contact our K-12 Regional Sales Manager Jordan Moss at JMoss@communication-co.com or by calling (574) 299-0020.