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Date: 9/7/2006 2:58:00 PM
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Author:
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Subject:Classroom fire safety
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OK, we just got a new fire marshall and he said the school is a dangerous fire hazard and enforcement of fire regulations has been lax. The building is all brick, with cement walls, ceilings, and floors. We are only permitted two area carpets in our rooms. We understand limiting stuff on the wall (only 20% per wall covered, nothing 3 feet below the ceiling), but now nothing (no paper, photos, posters, ect.) is to be in the halls or on the doors. we have a Reggio preschool set-up, and we are at a loss on how to display our projects past and present. We had a community sharing table (about 16 inches wide) and it has to be taken out of the hallway. Our halls are wide! and it's kinda in a corner! and how can we have a 'community' activity if I can't have it in the hallway! Have the fire safety rules gone way too sterile? is there anywhere we can complain ??????
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Date: 9/8/2006 11:52:00 AM
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Author:
Schari
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Subject:This is a tough one, especially when you...
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This is a tough one, especially when you use Reggio philosophy with the emphasis on beauty and sharing projects! I don't really have any suggestions - I feel for you though! I've heard other teachers talk about their schools having strict regulations. Even though there are regulations that should be upheld, I think it also depends somewhat on your fire marshall. Would they allow "cases" in the hallway? Like trophy cases or paper display cases that are covered in glass and open like a cabinet to change out? I wonder if the fire marshall would have any suggestions if you asked him for alternatives to display things for parents and community?
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Date: 9/8/2006 7:33:00 PM
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Author:
Christina
(Christina_edu@hotmail.com)
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Subject:Fire Marshall
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Where are you from that they are enforcing those regulations? We have a new fire marshall and he also stated the no more than 20% of your wall covered in non flammable material rule. He also stated that we could not hang anything from the ceiling or have anything posted 3' from the ceiling.
The teachers are at a loss. The fire marshall suggested non flammable paper. I guess he doesn't know how much that costs and how little money child care centers have to spend on art materials. This is in NJ.
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Date: 9/8/2006 10:15:00 PM
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Author:
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Subject:fire safety
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at a previous centre, we were told that we couldn't use 'fishermans nets' to hang across the ceiling and display artwork as it may melt and fall on someone during a fire. I don't know about you but I wouldn't be standing in the room long enough for it to melt and fall on me!!!!!
Is that the same reason why you have to have certain amounts of paper on the wall etc??
At my current centre, we are encouraged to put things up material artwork etc like that to display artwork and create an atmosphere especially in home corner or book corner.
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Date: 9/9/2006 6:17:00 AM
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Author:
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Subject:update
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the fire marshall said too much paper is a fire hazard. and the steel doors/windows are fire exits and they are designed to be fire-safe, so when you put stuff on or near them they then become a fire hazard. as for cases to dispaly work, that's out, costs too much money. (and glass front cases are a no-no with state licensing!) (Ohio) The fire marshall told me the rules are there cause there was a school fire and the combustable materials in the rooms contributed to over a hundred deaths, yet the fire safety rules to prevent such a tragedy weren't enforced until now. OK, where and when did such terrible tragedy occur?! I'm in a steel frame and cement building, not a wood frame/drywall building.
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