The objectives of the New School’s Fire Safety Policy are:

1. To increase awareness of fire safety within the school community.
2. To have a clear fire and emergency evacuation plan.
3. To identify and eliminate or control hazards to the greatest extent feasible.
4. To comply with the relevant safety legislation.

The New School’s Fire Safety Officer is responsible for:

1. Ensuring that the components of our Fire Safety Policy are communicated to staff, students and visitors.
2. Ensuring that all rooms have clear evacuation plans.
3. Ensuring that all staff and students are aware of the school’s fire evacuation procedures.
4. Advising all staff on the nature and location of fire safety equipment and how it is operated.
5. Identifying training needs and facilitating training where necessary and appropriate.
6. Ensuring that fire drills are carried out and monitored.
7. Reviewing each fire drill with a view to improving practice.
8. Carrying out a fire safety audit of all school fire equipment on an annual basis or more often if necessary.

The New School administration is responsible for:

1. Knowing all of the school’s fire safety and evacuation procedures.
2. Knowing the locations of the school’s emergency exits and fire safety equipment and understanding how the equipment is operated.
3. Ensuring that a Designated Administrator has responsibility each day for implementing a school evacuation if necessary.
4. Ensuring that accurate and up-to-date school timetables – including all students, teachers and practicers in the school at any given time – are kept each day.
5. In the event of a fire, immediately phoning the emergency services. This number is also displayed in the front and main lobbies of the school so that a non-administration staff member can place the call if the Designated Administrator is unable to do so.
6. In the event of a fire or fire drill, using the day’s timetable to ensure that everyone in the building is accounted for.

New School teachers are responsible for:

1. Knowing all of the school’s fire safety and evacuation procedures.
2. Knowing the locations of the school’s emergency exits and fire safety equipment and understanding how the equipment is operated. Teachers should only use a fire extinguisher if they have been trained to do so.
3. Ensuring that their students are aware of the location of fire safety and evacuation information displayed in each classroom.
4. In the event of a fire or fire drill, accompanying their students and ensuring that they are evacuated safely, quickly and in an orderly manner.
5. Ensuring that all doors are closed when leaving their classrooms.
6. Immediately informing the Designated Administrator if any of their students are unaccounted for in an evacuation.

New School students are responsible for:

1. Taking reasonable care of their own safety and the safety of others.
2. Cooperating fully with the New School’s Fire Safety Policy.
3. Not interfering with or misusing any piece of school safety equipment or safety device.
4. Reporting any incidence of defective equipment or potential safety hazard to their teachers and/or the school administration.
5. Not activating any fire alarm unless absolutely necessary. Such an action will be viewed as a serious breach of the New School’s Fire Safety Policy and will result in an appropriate sanction.
6. In the event of a fire or fire drill, evacuating the school safely and in an orderly manner.

The New School’s fire protection includes:

1. Fire safety and directional signage displayed throughout the school.
2. All fire exits and assembly points are clearly marked.
3. Signage in each classroom describes the evacuation procedure for that room.
4. Fire extinguishers and equipment are correctly sited to meet statutory and insurance requirements.
5. All fire safety equipment is tested and serviced annually. In accordance with the recommendation of the appropriate Irish standard for fire equipment, 20% of fire extinguishers will be discharged each year and relevant employees trained in the use of the equipment.

The New School’s fire evacuation procedure is:

1. Raising a fire alarm. Anyone discovering an outbreak of fire must, without hesitation, sound the alarm by operating the nearest fire alarm.
2. Phoning emergency services. All outbreaks of fire or any suspected fire, however small, must be reported immediately to the emergency services by the Designated Administrator – providing the name, address and Eircode of the school, as well as the location and type of fire (if available).
3. Hearing a fire alarm. If the fire alarm is activated, everyone will exit the building, following the specific instructions displayed in each classroom. Evacuation should take place as quickly as possible but in an orderly manner.
4. The Designated Administrator should identify him/herself to the Fire Brigade on their arrival. In doing so, vital information can be relayed to the Fire Officer, which will dictate the necessary actions to be carried out by the Fire Brigade.
5. The Designated Administrator should provide the following information to the Fire Brigade: the location of the fire, materials involved, details of any missing persons and the locations of all access doors to the building. The Designated Administrator should also provide keys for access into any locked areas.
6. Parents and guardians of young students should be notified as soon as possible.

The New School has three fire doors, all leading to the flat roof behind the school, as well as the main entrance to the school on South Great George’s Street:

• Fire Door 1. Located up one flight of stairs towards Rooms 3 – 9 on the left.
• Fire Door 2. Located up the stairs towards Room 10, through the first door on the left.
• Fire Door 3. Located at the bottom of the stairs towards Room 13.

The school has two assembly points:

• Assembly Point 1. Outside the front of the school, accessed by the main entrance.
• Assembly Point 2. On the flat roof behind the school, accessed by the three fire exits.

Questions about our Fire Safety Policy?

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