FIRE AND LIFE SAFETY AND CAMPUS SECURITY
 It is well known that a campus that is safe for the Students and Staff is essential to maintaining an environment that is conducive to learning.History has shown that when the safety of the campus declines, the ability to learn also declines. Therefore, it is critical that any new campus encompass in its design safety for the Students and Staff. Included in this paper are items that should be considered during the site selection, design, construction and operational phases of new school buildings.
NEW CAMPUS SITE SELECTION
Fire Protection and Life Safety considerations in choosing a new campus site:
Existing city infrastructure should be reviewed in the very early stages of site selection. Roadways surrounding the site should be constructed to public standards and capable of supporting fire apparatus. Fire hydrants and water mains of adequate size should be in place and properly maintained around the site. A fire flow test should be conducted to determine if there is sufficient water at required pressures to supply the required fire protection systems as well as the domestic needs. This simple test (fire flow) may be the single factor determining if a particular site is acceptable. Upgrading an existing water system and/or bringing in new mains may be cost prohibitive and therefore may eliminate a potential site.
Proximity to Industrial sites must be considered prior to choosing a new campus site. The site must be located at least ¼ mile from hazardous materials stationary sources. However, even if the site is located more than ¼ of a mile from the nearest stationary source (hazardous materials site), consideration must be given to the predominant wind direction. Industrial sites may have an impact if the campus is located "downwind". Air emission release history for all surrounding industry should be reviewed to determine any potential impact to the proposed campus. The locations of nearby Industrial facilities with stationary sources along with their Risk Management Information including release scenarios, etc. can be obtained from the Certified Unified Program Administrator (CUPA) having jurisdiction over the proposed campus site.
Each new site should have enough land to provide adequate safe refuge areas for evacuation without leaving the campus and without blocking emergency services on-campus access in the event of fire or earthquake, etc. All of these are critical issues that must be satisfied prior to building on a proposed site.
DESIGN
Emergency Services Access:
Emergency access roadways are essential for successful operations during an emergency. Fire access roadways should be provided within 150 feet of the exterior of all buildings located on the campus. The design requirements for fire access roadways can be located in the California Fire Code. However, the Fire Department/Authority that would normally respond to fires and emergencies at the campus should be consulted to determine access needs for their apparatus. Many Fire Jurisdictions have amended the California Fire Code with more stringent requirements based on local needs. The local Fire Department can provide the required turning radius for their apparatus, etc. Design should be for a worst-case scenario. If multi-story buildings are to be constructed, wider access may be required in some areas to accommodate operation of aerial ladders. It should be noted that during the construction phase, access roadways with all-weather surfaces capable of supporting fire apparatus should be in place prior to combustible building materials being brought on site.
Campus Security vs. Emergency Exiting:
Exiting systems have always been of primary importance in the design and construction of schools. However, in recent history, security has become one of the driving forces for school design and retrofitting. Unfortunately, many schools have become like prisons. Administrators have been forced to chain and lock gates, which in some cases have impaired the exit paths from buildings. Security must be designed into the structure in order not to impede emergency exiting. Campuses should be designed with primary and secondary exiting to safe refuge areas within the campus. By providing adequate refuge areas within the school grounds, the perimeter exits from the campus are less of an issue. Refuge areas must not compromise emergency services access and staging.
The campus should be designed so that local and/or school police may gain vehicular access for patrol and emergencies easily. This can be accomplished with special locks of which local emergency services (Police and Fire) have possession of the keys. Many agencies use the Knox key and lock systems. The keys to these locks and/or safes are only available to Police and Fire agencies. The property owner purchases the locks and/or safes. The safe is used to store master keys to the campus/building. The safe is attached to the building in a location that is designated by the local authorities. By providing keyed access to emergency services, forcible entry and its inherent damage is avoided.
Video surveillance is an excellent tool for campus security. This is generally a onetime expenditure, other than maintenance, with a large return. "Dummy cameras" may also be installed along with active cameras to reduce the cost. However, all critical areas should be covered. The return on this investment will result in reduced security staffing, lower maintenance and repair cost from persons who would vandalize the campus.
Security of locker-bays has always presented challenges to the staff. In many existing schools, the locker bays are located in the exit path from the building. Due to many problems with theft, fire, etc. administrators have chosen to secure these areas with fencing. However, in some cases the configuration of the fencing blocks exiting from the building. Even though these areas are normally not locked until after school, there are many after school activities on campus where the classrooms are occupied. Therefore, new campuses should be designed so that locker bays may be secured without blocking exits.
Communications Between Main Office And Classrooms:
Two-way communication is key to the successful mitigation of any emergency. Schools should be designed with two-way communication between the classrooms and the office. Two-way communication is especially useful during "Shelter-in-Place" and lockdown situations. Instructions, updates, and problems can be passed back and forth between administration and individual classrooms. This can be accomplished with intercom systems, telephones or radios. In a major emergency such as an earthquake, radios are the best choice. Intercoms and telephones may be inoperable due to the incident. Cell phones may be ineffective during these major emergencies because everyone is trying to use them for communication including the media thus overloading the system.
Emergency Supplies:
Emergency supply cashes/bins should be designed into every new campus. Extreme care must be exercised regarding location of the supply bins. They should be located away from buildings or walls with a potential for collapse. They should not be located under high voltage lines or near chain link fences that could come in contact with high voltage lines. If an electrical line comes in contact with a chain link fence, the entire fence could be energized. Further, Emergency Bins should not be located in emergency services access. Bins should be constructed to withstand a substantial earthquake. The supplies should be rotated on a schedule that will assure that water, food and medical supplies will be useable.
CONSTRUCTION
Fire Protection:
New campuses are required to be provided with automatic fire sprinklers and alarm systems under the Green Oaks Fire Protection Act. As stated above, fire flow is a critical part of the overall package. Inadequate water supply can add up to a major increase in the cost of the project. Adequate fire mains capable of supplying the required fire flow should be a consideration in site selection.
Automatic alarms will help to reduce the number of false alarms that are a disruption to students and the surrounding community. When designing the alarm system, consideration should be given to the decibel (dB) level. Many systems exist where the dB level far exceed the allowable OSHA dB level for rooms. Horns and strobes should be located where they are audible from all portions of the building at dB levels within the OSHA allowable range.
Fire extinguishers should be located in cabinets or within each classroom. All personnel should have hands on training in the proper use of these first aid fire-fighting appliances. If not properly used, personnel may be subjected to unnecessary risk.
OPERATION
Shelter-in-Place:
Many campuses are not located close to any industrial sites. However, there are hazardous materials transported over public streets daily. Further, there are spills due to accidents on the streets daily. Each one of these spills has the potential to be a hazardous material that may threaten a school site. Therefore, it is essential that school personnel and students receive training in and practice Shelter-in-Place procedures.
In most cases where a hazardous material has been released, the best option is to "Shelter-in-Place". Airborne releases are transient. They are subject to wind direction and speed. If a cloud is released it will usually pass through an area in a short period of time. Classrooms should be designed with tight fitting windows and doors to minimize the intrusion of airborne toxic gases. Each classroom should be equipped with a combination earthquake/shelter-in-place kit. This kit should contain duct tape for sealing windows, etc., water, first aid kit, flashlight, batteries, etc. The above are only examples of items needed and not intended to be an all-inclusive list.
"Shelter-in-Place" procedures should also be used for Law Enforcement activities that require the campus to be in a "Lockdown" state. The objective is the same, simply to get everyone inside behind closed doors where it is safe. Most campuses develop a bell system similar to a fire drill to alert the children when they are on the playground to return to their classroom immediately for shelter purposes. In addition, they will have an all clear signal.
Use As Shelters:
Historically schools have been used by the Red Cross and Local Emergency Responders during major emergencies requiring evacuation of involved areas. These evacuations may be the result of an earthquake, fire, hazardous materials release, flood, etc.
In the case of an earthquake, buildings should be evaluated for safety prior to occupancy. These incidents often require the school to shelter students as well as the public at large. Separation of the students from the public when sheltered must be planned. The school personnel in charge of the student shelter must operate in a Unified Command with the managers of the public shelter, which in most cases will be the Red Cross.
Emergency Response Plan: SEMS/NIMS
Every campus is required to have an Emergency Response Plan. The Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS) and the National Incident Management System (NEMS) are described in more detail in the article "SEMS/NIMS" in this publication. These Emergency Management Systems allow school administrators to maximize their resources during an emergency incident.
Conclusion:
The foregoing is a brief overview of tasks that should be considered for K-12 construction projects. Many of the listed items should also be applied to existing K-12 campuses to minimize risks to the students and staff. All of the above issues have been applied with success in buildings other than schools for many years. If these basic principles are followed, we will reduce the risk to students and staff while on campus.
- Kennith M. Hall
Previous Article Next Article |
