Written by Stephanie Healy
Brette stumbled out of bed, pulled on her shoes and frantically followed her roommate outside. She was numbed to see the entire building being evacuated.
“What’s going on?” Brette questioned her roommate. “Is there afire?”
An hour later, Brette’s question — and the question 299Harding Universitywomen were asking — was answered as they were allowed back into Sears dorm. It was only burnt popcorn. But, the problematic part is not that popcorn was burned. Instead, the true trouble lies in this: Why did it take an hour for the students to be allowed back in the building when a typical drill only lasts ten minutes? What mistake was made that cost the residents one hour outside in 40-degree weather with only their pajamas on?
“If we get a call and we see smoke, we call [the SearcyFireDepartment] immediately,” said Director of Public Safety Craig Russel. “We go to the building and we evacuate the building.”
At Harding University, the typicalfireemergency plan is this: If the fire alarm sounds, public safety is called. Public safety ensures it’s not a prank call and calls the SearcyFireDepartment. Then the SearcyFireDepartment comes and puts out thefire. Over all, the longest the entire procedure is supposed to run is 10 minutes.
“I simply would not believe it took [theSearcyFireDepartment] twenty minutes after [being] notified,” Russel said. “We work very, very well with them. We have annual disaster drills in the spring, and they work with us.”
Other facts make it doubtful the firefighters are to blame. Most of the firefighters have fake tours on campus to guarantee the students’ safety. They are required to know the proper rescue procedure and are tested to double-check their preparedness.
SearcyFireDepartment Assistant Chief Doug Baker is retired from West Memphis where they average 1,000 calls per year. About 40 of these calls are house fires.
“We average 100 calls in Harding’s area,” Baker said. “We are also the only accreditedFireDepartment in Arkansas.”
But, what does that mean exactly? How does that affect us?
Thefiredepartments have a required audit every five years. If they pass, they can continue serving the community and stopping the fires. Thefire departments are also ranked. A Class 1 is the highest rating, and a class 10 is the lowest. There are currently only eight cities classified as a Class I.
“We’re currently also the insurance-rate association ISO Class Two rating,” Baker said. “[We’re] hoping to be a Class 1 next year. We’re making sure our training is up-to-date and current, thefire department is safe and it proceeds well.”
On the SearcyFireDepartment’s required documentation of the alarm, it shows the alarm going off at 3:38:50 a.m., and the two engines arriving at 3:43:49 and 3:42:44 a.m. The first engine cleared the scene at 3:54:54 a.m. and the second engine left at 3:56:26 a.m.
So, if the firefighters were at the scene in four minutes, they’re not to at fault. So, who’s responsibility was it?
“Someone usually calls (public safety),” said Sears Head Resident Assistant Michal Henderson. “But I didn’t call them, and I don’t know who actually did. But, it was our fault because nobody actually called.”
