SPECIAL REPORT: FIRE SAFETY~, l. $!" Devine WHAT would happen if fire broke out in the crowded cafe­ teria during lunch hour? No one U-HIGH knows for sure; fire drills no Vol. 43, No. 10 r longer are staged during lunch Tuesday, Jan. 30, 1968 University hi9h school because they resulted in "cha· 1362 East 59th street os," a school administrator said. Chicago, Illinois 60637 Administrators feel school well-prepared for disaster By Daniel Pollock According to the EFC report, Rinne and the fire marshal said there has only been one drill; Low­ "Parents have a right to expect "Another danger (in fire prepara­ er school has had more . I their children to be kept safe from tions) lies in the mistaken assump­ was perfectly satisfied with the death by fire while the children tion that people will do the right way fire drills were run." are in school. The school system thing in an emergency.'' MR. GREEN said there were has the duty to keep children Mr. John Thompson, dean of students, said, "There is some two planned drills last quarter. In safe." one, in October, the building was ) So states a 1960 report of the room for improvement (by the evacuated in two minutes and 45 Educational Facilities Laborator­ students) in the fire drills, but if seconds; in another in November, ies directed toward school officials. there was a real occurence stu­ the building was evacuated in "Most children who die in school dents would respond in good from two minutes and 12 seconds fires do so from asphyxiation by fashion.'' to two minutes and 15 seconds. smoke and toxic gases. Others are ACCORDING TO the EFC re­ "Any time before three min­ scorched to their death by heat. port, "Fire exit drills must be utes," Mr. Green said, "would be A few actually die from the touch held frequently - at least once a enough time to empty the build­ of flame," the EFC report states. month, even in winter ... at all ing." HOW PROTECTED against fire times of the day, including during According to the EFC -report, deaths and injury is U-High? Ac­ changes of classes, assemblies and though, "a three-story building Photo by Ken Devine cording to Mr. Daniel Green, su­ lunch period." can be 'uninhabitable' in two min­ consider fire safety a pervisor of maintenance, the Lab Presently, Mr. Thompson said, THERE ARE people around U-High who utes." Schools "are very well prepared. fire drill procedures are being re­ priority matter of immediate importan.ce. Using a crowbar to scrape U-HIGHERS, Mr. Green feels, Rob· "The fire alarm system is the written, so that fire drills may be dangerou·s electrical equipment off the walls, Drama Instructor are "very good" about fire drills, finest in the University and seven staged during passing time or ert Keil demonstrates how switches and wires were removed from and he has never known a student pieces of (fire fighting) equipment lunch as well as class periods. the drama room walls to minimize the chance of electrical fire. to maliciously set off an alarm. are here in a minute-and-a-half Mr. Conway said that three or Another safety improvement, accomplished over winter vacation, Once last quarter, however, a ( after a fire alarm is sounded)." four years ago fire drills were was the stacking of loose boards against the walls. In the publica­ student accidentally set off an City fire inspectors, according to given during lunch hour and the tions office combustible materials also are now stored against a result was "utter chaos," so the alarm when he placed a large in­ brick wall and in metal cabinets. Mr. Donald Conway, director of strument into a cabinet in the Bel­ administrative services, inspect U­ drills were discontinued. field music room. High "every month and do a very AS FOR A tornado or natural • The cabinet became unbalanced good job." disaster drill, Mr. Conway said, coming up: and leaned back against a fire Busy Thursday IF SOME AREA of the sehool "There is a practical limit beyond alarm box, touching it off. does not meet fire regulations, which you pay too much insurance When an alarm is set off in Bel­ the school is given a citation, and . and if you are hit by a tor­ field, U-High, Blaine or Judd it polls if the hazard is not corrected by nado, there is really no defense" gov't forum, homeroom immediately sets off the fire horns the next time the building is in­ (see "Viewpoint," page two). in that building. spected, then by law the school Fire drills are not staged in All-school forum in the freshman suite on the third floor of U-High to AT THE SAME time the alarm must be closed down until regula­ Sunny gym because it is "not discuss student government will replace regular meetings of Student sets off a city alarm box located tions are met. worth endangering the health of Council, Student Board and Student Union Thursday. outside of Blaine. This box acti­ One area which still must meet those in the swimming pool or In homeroom Thursday three student opinion surveys will be taken. vates an alarm at the fire station city fire and building regulations those scantily clad," Mr. Conway at 55th street between University One poll, a project of Student Coun­ is the future senior lounge in the explained. and Woodlawn avenues. cil Secretary Hugh Patinkin, will basement of Belfield. Fire drills take place at all dif­ ferent times of the day, so that survey student opinion on the Viet- on The "The senior lounge," according When this alarm sounds, fire­ nam war and this year's Presiden- everyone knows what to do, he men immediately dispatch their to Mr. Conway, "is not a senior tial nominees. lounge yet. added. equipment to Blaine, where an "THERE IS A pipe at shoulder SUNNY GYM, according to Mr. annunciator (panel of lights) tells Another poll, sponsored by the height blocking the exit that must Green, "is what the fire depart­ firemen in which building the Laboratory Mutants, an under­ Midway ment calls a fireproof building." pulled alarm box is located. ground student group, will seek be moved and certain alterations Today, Jan. ~irl's basketball If a fire were to occur during a student views on curriculum. must be made in the ventilation Mr. Green said it took firemen against North Shore Country basketball game in Upper Sunny about 30 minutes to locate the system." Students also will select Thurs­ Day, 3:30 p.m., here; Swimming "everyone could definitely get alarm. Meanwhile, Art Teacher But at least one teacher said the day four charities to receive pro­ against Kenwood, frosh soph on­ out," Mr. Green said. R o b e r t Erickson unsuccessfully inspections are haphazard. ceeds from Student Council's Fund ly, 3:30 p.m., here. "WE WERE having class one U-Highers have enough practice tried to contact an administrator Drive. Friday, Feb. 2-Swimming against day, and this man walked in and in fire drill procedures to know to find what the alarm was about. South Shore 3:30 p.m., here; looked around and walked out. I what to do, he believes, and two in Belfield In other Council business, mo­ NOT EVERYONE Girl's basketball against St. Pat­ asked, 'Can I help you.' He said fire guards are posted at the exits tions to draw up three resolutions hall left the building when the buz­ rick, 4 p.m., here; Basketball he was a fire inspector, so I said, to supervise evacuation in case of were passed Thursday: to change zer sounded. But one teacher who against North Shore, 6:30 p.m., 'We have some combustible ma­ an emergency. the dress code to permit girls to did said it took nearly four min­ here. terials here. Would you like to look Last quarter, according to Mr. utes for the fire department to ar­ wear pants during winter months; at how they're stored and check Conway, there were "five or six rive. to formally condemn increasing Monday, Feb. 5 - Fund Drive be­ gins. out the fire extinguisher?' But he unplanned drills ( false alarms) Mr. Francis V. Lloyd Jr., Lab vandalism here; and to protest the said no, they had already been and at least two and possibly three rowdy behavior of prefreshmen in Tuesday, Feb. 6--Midway out af. checked.'' planned ones ( Principal C a r 1 (Continued on page 3, col. 1) the halls. ter school. THE MIDWAY'S VIEWPOINT: A MUSING Time to face facts about fire ... about test scores The Midway's investigation of fire haz­ or delayed. Before your senior year, standardized Publicity, they explained, might jeop­ tests are merely an engaging diversion ards at U-High, prompted by a false to sen­ alarm incident last quarter, has illumin­ ardize the proposed lounge by recording from normal school routine. But ated an unpleasant but unavoidable fact: its presence because it had not received iors they're deadly serious business. U-Highers have an unrealistic, childish approval from a fire marshal ( it since And arrival of test scores is a time attitude toward safety. has been inspected and recommendations of joy or sorrow depending on the results. A student who says fire drills and prep­ for improvements made). The other Saturday my board scores aration for natural disasters is a matter MEMBERS OF the editorial board, af­ arrived in the mail. With a combination of major importance gets a queer look ter careful discussion, decided it was the of eagerness and apprehension I opened from his fellow students-he must be kid­ paper's responsibility to bring the situa­ the envelope.