Spencer

News Editor

Whenever there is an unscheduled fire alarm, lockdown, or any other kind of emergency preparation drill, some students may wonder things like: Why do we have to do this? Is this real or a drill? What caused the emergency?

Those questions could be heard this Thursday, Sept. 20, after the fire alarm went off about halfway through sixth period.

According to assistant principal Michelle Dowling, the fire alarm panic was all due to a heat sensor going off in the school kitchen. This was also the reason for the unexpected fire alarm earlier this school year.

Even if the faculty knows whether or not the fire is real, they still have to take the same safety precautions that they would if it was a real fire.

For example, whenever a smoke or heat sensor goes off, it shows which one activated on a board. Head custodian Oscar Acevedo is in charge of the board, and when they saw which sensor went off, they immediately knew it must be from last time the fire alarm went off.

“Our number one goal is obviously to keep students safe,” Dowling said. “It is probably equal with educated [students]. It is a big responsibility keeping the students safe, and we take it very seriously.”

There have also been other false alarms, and the reasons range from the fumes from science labs and chemicals to something as simple as popcorn burning in a microwave.

“Every situation we have to take as if it is the real thing, because you can just never know,” Dowling said.