Fire Safety Checklist

Walk every classroom, corridor, kitchen, boiler room, and lab. Check the gauge is in the green, the pin and tamper seal are intact, the inspection tag is signed within the last month, and the unit is mounted at the correct height (NFPA 10: top no higher than 5 feet for units over 40 lbs, 3.5 feet otherwise). Flag any missing or obstructed extinguishers — common in art rooms where supply carts get parked in front of them.

Annual professional service by a licensed extinguisher company is required by NFPA 10. If any unit failed inspection — discharged, damaged gauge, expired hydrostatic test — get the vendor on-site within five business days. Tag out the deficient unit and post a temporary replacement.

Press the test button on each unit and confirm the bulbs hold for at least 30 seconds. Annual 90-minute load test required by NFPA 101 — note any unit due. Replace dead batteries the same day; a dark egress corridor is a fire-marshal write-up waiting to happen.

Coordinate with the alarm vendor or maintenance lead to confirm panel shows no trouble or supervisory signals. Localized detector testing rotates through zones — track which zone was tested this cycle so the annual rotation is complete.

Walk the sprinkler riser room and the exterior fire department connection. Riser valves locked open, gauges in normal range, no visible leaks. FDC caps in place, no mulch or shrubbery within 3 feet. Landscaping crews routinely bury FDCs after spring planting.

Corridors must be clear of student projects, bookshelves, and seasonal decorations. State fire codes generally cap classroom-wall paper coverage at 20% (50% if sprinklered). Stairwell landings must be empty — no boxes, no furniture being stored 'temporarily' since August.

For each obstruction or over-decoration, send the responsible teacher a written notice with the code citation and a 48-hour cure deadline. Loop in the custodial supervisor for any storage-room overflow that needs a district-level disposition.

3-foot clearance in front of every electrical panel. No daisy-chained power strips, no extension cords used as permanent wiring (NEC 400.8). Mini-fridges and space heaters in classrooms are the perennial offenders — confirm any space heater is UL-listed and has tip-over protection.

Cafeteria hood suppression system inspection due semiannually per NFPA 96. Confirm the last inspection tag, fusible links not painted over, and Class K extinguisher mounted within 30 feet of cooking surface. Grease trap cleaning log up to date.

The log is what the fire marshal opens first during an unannounced visit. Record every test, drill, vendor service, and corrective action with date, name, and result. Keep alongside the AHJ-approved evacuation diagrams and the current occupancy load posted at each assembly space.

Most states require monthly drills during the school year and notification to the local AHJ. Vary the time of day across the year — bell-passing, lunch, indoor recess — so staff and students drill from realistic conditions, not just first-period.

Each teacher carries a current class roster from the SIS to the assembly point. Pre-K and K teachers use the buddy/rope system. Specials teachers (art, PE, library) account for whoever is in their room at the bell, not their homeroom.

Cross-reference the IEP and 504 rosters for students with mobility, sensory, or medical needs. Confirm assigned evacuation buddies, evac-chair locations on upper floors, and the area-of-refuge protocol. Update the building's emergency-needs roster with the school nurse so first responders have a current copy.

Pull the alarm, start the stopwatch, walk a route different from the one being evacuated. Target full evacuation under 3 minutes for most school buildings; document actual time. Note any door that didn't open, any class that took the wrong route, any teacher who didn't bring the roster.

Each teacher reports roster status (all present / missing student / extra student) to the grade-level lead, who reports to the principal. Do not signal all-clear until every student is accounted for. A missing student during a drill is the rehearsal for a missing student during a real fire.

Two-person sweep team enters the building only if the AHJ on scene authorizes it; otherwise the search is on the fireground commander. Check bathrooms, the nurse's office, and any room the student visited last per the SIS hall-pass log. This step exists because of how often a missing student turns out to be in the bathroom — but you treat it as real until proven otherwise.

15-minute debrief with grade-level leads and the safety committee. Capture what worked, what didn't, and assign owners with deadlines for each correction. File the after-action note in the fire log binder.

State ed-board requirements vary — California CSSP, Texas multi-hazard plan, etc. Attach the dated drill record, evacuation time, observations, and corrective actions. This is the artifact accreditors and the fire marshal both ask for.