Fire drills interrupt lunch, Back-to-School Night

An unplanned fire drill disrupted class during period 5B today. The alarm sounded at 11:32 and students were sent to the football field until 11:55. Last night, a faulty alarm forced the evacuation of parents visiting the building for Back-to-School Night for about ten minutes.

According to Mark Curran, chairman of Blair's Crisis Planning Committee, a student hit a fire alarm on the first floor near the Media Center. Curran said that security identified and spoke with the student who activated the alarm but noted that the student may have triggered the alarm ”accidentally,” and that there was no evidence that he disrupted class intentionally.

Last night, a faulty sensor sent parents visiting Blair for Back-to-School Night outdoors for about ten minutes. The sensor, located on the third floor across from the administrative office in room 340, had experienced problems in the past as well. It was activated at about 7:25, and the building was deemed safe for re-entry at about 7:35.

Curran said that whenever a sensor has problems, a maintenance team is sent to evaluate the situation, and ”either they replace it or they don't.”

The defective sensor was built to monitor several danger factors, including surrounding temperature and levels of smoke, natural gas, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide, but Curran said that it could not detect infrared heat and body heat could not trigger it.

”It's been replaced at least once, I believe twice,” he said.

After parents were allowed back in the building, Back-to-School Night continued as planned.