Things are returning to normal at Fairview Elementary School this afternoon after a morning fire alarm forced the school to be evacuated.
According to Habersham County School Superintendent Matthew Cooper, Fairview staff saw and smelled smoke in a hallway around 9 a.m. Wednesday. They immediately sounded the alarm and evacuated the building.
While no flames were observed, the fire department advised the principal to relocate the students and staff until the building could be given an all clear, says Cooper. The school transportation department quickly arranged for more than 20 buses to transport the students to the nearby Torch Worship Center, which has a working agreement with the school system as a relocation point.
“Our transportation department did a fantastic job of responding to the situation,” says Cooper. He says staff and students were transported from the Fairview campus to the Torch less than thirty minutes after the alarm sounded. Cooper, who was on campus during the evacuation, says some students commented that they were happy they were getting to have a ‘field trip.’ “The teachers and staff at Fairview did a fantastic job of caring for their students,” he says. “Our administration at Fairview demonstrated excellent leadership.”
The superintendent also had high praise for other school employees and law officers who assisted in evacuating and relocating students.
“I was impressed with the way our bus drivers responded, ready to help. Five of our resource officers also immediately responded to assist with traffic and to help our buses transport students to The Torch,” he says.
School maintenance workers and Habersham County firefighters traced the smoke to a burnt belt on a heating and air conditioning unit. The belt was replaced and the unit is now running properly, Cooper says. “Our maintenance department did an excellent job of working side by side with our Habersham firefighters to determine the cause of the smoke.”
Habersham County Fire Chief Jeff Cain cleared the building for re-entry at 11:20 a.m. School nutritionists fed the students lunch at the Torch and then buses transported them back to school.
The school principal notified parents of the situation through the One Call notification system. No students or staff reported any health issues related to the smoke. Cooper extended his thanks to the Torch for use of their facilities and Habersham County Emergency Services for its quick response.
