Education needed

Sirs, —Last night (25/9/67) there was a fire alarm in the R.B. Building. The alarm bell rang for two minutes before anyone in our section of the library even moved and most people waited until they were told to move out. Why, then. did we install a fire alarm?

In the event of any alarm one would expect a rapid, orderly evacuation managed by a trained staff, as you can see in any primary school today. Have we an evacualion plan and have the staff been trained to execute it?

It is plain that we all need education and practice in so far as fire evacuation of buildings is concerned. Even 50 or so notices stating the length of a test alarm and evacuation instructions, placed in prominent positions throughout the building would be better than nothing.

The other point was that after two or three minutes outside in the cold, people moved back into the foyer. A fireman had to shoulder his way through the crowd to reach the stairs.

This will not do!

I know that student apathy has a lot to do with this problem but I think something should be done to help avert another farce like last night.

W.D.R.