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Trapped Student, Counselor Rescued In School Fire Drill
October 15, 2008
Emergency officials from across Flomaton and Century responded to Flomaton Elementary School Tuesday morning for a disaster drill that simulated a fire with two trapped victims.
“We have a structure fire at 1634 Poplar Street…at the Flomaton Elementary School. Be advised we have one child missing in the building,” the dispatcher said while alerting the fire department to the call.
Within about two minutes, all 343 children were out of the building, except for one student and a counselor trapped inside an office in the middle of the mock fire.
For a complete NorthEscambia.com photo gallery from the drill, click here.
For a video from the drill, click here.
Moments later, units from the Flomaton Fire Department, the Escambia County (FL) Fire-Rescue Century Station’s Engine 519, Escambia County (FL) EMS, the Friendship Volunteer Fire Department and the Flomaton Police Department were at the school.
Firemen entered the building and began a “right search” — a touch and feel type search that would be done in a low viability, thick smoke situation where firemen enter the first room to the right and search for victims. A short time later, the “victims” were discovered in a school office. Counselor Susie Kirk and fifth grader Oliva Tatum were quickly evacuated to a waiting ambulance for treatment.
“In case something really happens like this, it is good that we can have this experience,” Tatum, 10, said after her rescue, “in case one day we really do get trapped somewhere.”
“I tell you, it went great. You just never know what is going to happen in a case like this,” Flomaton Fire Chief Steve Stanton told NorthEscambia.com, adding that the drill provided his agency the chance to review the drill to find any mistakes they might have made. “This is going to be a super training for all of us.”
He also had a lot of praise for the students at staff at Flomaton Elementary.
“It took two minutes to get 343 kids out of the building,” Stanton said. “It was great. You just won’t believe how the kids came out of the building.”
The response was originally planned last week as part of a fire drill for Fire Prevention Week, but postponed due to rain last Tuesday.
Pictured above: Student “victim” Olivia Tatum, 10, is loaded into a waiting ambulance following a mock disaster fire drill at Flomaton Elementary School this morning. School counselor Susie Kirk (far right) was also rescued from the “burning” building. Pictured below: Firemen conduct a search looking for victims trapped in the mock fire. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
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