Fire alarms rang throughout the school at 10:31 a.m. as smoke fogged out the kitchen doors, on October 11.
Due to excessive smoke in the cafeteria kitchen fire alarms rang during fifth period with students evacuating swiftly as the fire and police departments were quick to respond. Fire trucks pulled up to the kitchen’s back doors, towards the east side of the school building, immediately reacting to the situation, to find the cause, and safely defuse any possible fires. The school was given an all-clear from the fire department and students were allowed to enter the building at 10:46 a.m.
With the rush of students out the doors, students were alarmed at the lack of announcements before the alarm and were left wondering was this was a fire drill? Or an emergency situation?
Junior Saman was in her Pre-calculus class when the alarms sounded. “I thought it was just a false alarm, a drill that we had planned, not an actual fire. And I definitely didn’t expect to see the fire department coming down,” she said.
As soon as students settled out of the fire’s bounds, people were trying to find the cause of the alarm. Rumors of someone pulling the alarm quickly spread around the school, however, Principal Daniel DeBruycker cleared up the true cause of the fire.
“Burning toast, and also a stir fry pan [created] smoke. That smoke in the kitchen was enough to set off the fire alarm.”
A common sentiment shared among students, many didn’t feel this was an emergency but rather an excuse to be out of class.
“I was kind of happy that we were getting out of class,” Corday, a junior on the football team said.
Despite it being a surprise in today’s schedule, Principal Daniel DeBruycker applauded the quick and calm reactions of students and staff leaving the building and the student’s ability to enact practiced protocols without warning.
“I saw and from the collaboration I had with people that the students were cooperative and left and they don’t know what’s going on, because it’s not a planned drill, so it does create some angst because they didn’t know about it, but that’s why we do the drills. I’m proud of everyone getting out of the building, keeping them safe, and then coming back.”
