Schools are required by state law to have annual drills in emergency situations. On March 4, 1908, the Lake View school in Collinwood, Ohio caught ablaze due to a furnace overheating. The teachers and staff remained calm and let the students talk among themselves as they exited. This was the worst school fire in history taking 172 students, 2 teachers, and 1 rescuer. Ever since then schools and other public buildings have been finding safer and easier ways to exit the building. Now schools teach their students that walking in a single file line and staying quiet is the best way out of the situation. Is this the best way though?

In case of a fire students are supposed to be quiet and listen to the teacher’s instructions. Line up at the door in a single file manner. Quietly walk outside the building until reaching a safe area. As well as in a tornado situation. It is taught to walk quietly to the designated area in the school.

I think that lining up in a single file line in a fire/tornado situation is a good way to get out of the school in a fire or get to a safe place. I think this because it allows the teachers and school staff to get everyone out safe. I also think that staying quiet really helps get everyone out of the situation much quicker than not. At first I thought that lining up was just a waste of valuable time but now it makes sense to me.


What do you think about walking in a single file line during an emergency?

Would you change the way the school has it now?



https://americanhistory.si.edu/blog/collinwood-disaster-fire-safety 

https://www.wikihow.com/React-to-a-Fire-Alarm-at-School-(Kids) 

https://emergency.vt.edu/ready/guides/building-fire/building-fireduring.html#:~:text=Never%20take%20an%20elevator%20when,and%20report%20where%20you%20are.

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  • Personally, I do not like walking in a single file line because I want to get out as fast as I can. Walking without a single file line is much faster, so I would prefer it. I understand that that a single file line is more organized, but it is much slower.

  • I think walking in a single file line is a dumb thing to do if the person in the front is going to slow then the back of the group could end up injured. If we could just walk not in a single filed line we would be faster and more efficient and make sure everyone would get out. I also think the teacher should be in the back to make sure every kid goes the right way.

  • I know that walking in a single file line is better for organization and not serious evacuations, but if there is a bad, out of control fire at school, I want out of there fast. On paper, this seems like a great idea, but in an actual emergency, I don't have much faith in people sticking to it. Also, being quiet doesn't matter when the fire alarms are the only thing you can hear anyway. 

    • I agree that if someone were to be in an imediate threat then they should get out as fast as they can, but as long as they are a safe distance away they should comply with getting in line. In the actual emergency their will always be people that don't comply which can set back the amount of time to account for everyone to make sure they are safe.

  • yes i think that we should walk single file if there is an emergency because it would make things go faster and people wouldn't be in such a rush because everyone is right being each other or in front of eachother

  • I think the idea behind it is smart, because you want to stay calm in an emergency, so staying in a single file line may keep this in tact, but if the fire is close to you and you need to leave as soon as possible, I don't really think that's necessary.

  • In my personal opinion, I think that it is smart to walk in a single file line if the emergency taking place is not very severe. If the emergency is an imediate threat to the students then slowly walking in a single file line seems very dangerous. But if they just need to evacuate then it is the most organized way to do so.

    • I agree that if someone were to be a decent distance away from the threat that they should comply with lining up. I also agree that if students were super close to the threat that they should high tail it out of there.

  • In my personal opinion, I don't think that walking in a single file line or not makes much of a difference. I could see how it would be safer because people may push and shove to get out of harms way. I don't have enough statistics to make a change in the schools method.

  • I think that we should not walk in a single file line during an emergancy because I think that if we are in danger then we should help our selfs get out of danger. Yes I would tell them all to get out side and get to a spot for that class and all meet up there so we don't take time in school.

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