WESTERN BUREAU:
THERE IS a need for more exits at the Barracks Road Primary School in Montego Bay, St. James, which was the scene of last week's stampede during a fire drill.
Assistant Superintendent Vincent Allen, Fire Prevention Officer at the Monetgo Bay Fire Department, said that the recommendation was made following a recent inspection at the school. The more than 1,500 students are now being served by two gates.
Five grade one students, two boys and three girls, were injured and a senior teacher fainted in last week's incident. The boys were treated and sent home while the girls were released from the Cornwall Regional Hospital on the weekend. They sustained mainly injuries to the face.
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The incident has prompted the Fire Department to have a more active relationship with schools in an effort to prevent similar occurrences. "It (the stampede) is telling us that we have to work closer with schools to ensure that things go smoother during drills," he said on Monday. "The purpose of a fire drill is to allow people to act rational in event of a case of emergency."
Assistant Superintendent Allen stated that fire prevention officers held a briefing that outlined fire drill procedures with teachers at the school prior to the exercise. He noted that a fire prevention officer was also present to evaluate the fire drill.
He denied reports that the incident was a direct result of difficulties in gaining access to a padlocked exit gate and said the stampede occurred because of the disorderly conduct of some students.
"The smaller children were making their way to the smaller exit gate when the bigger students, instead of coming out and forming line just ran," explained the Assistant Superintendent. "The smaller children were pushed from behind and they fell... resulting in the unfortunate incident."
