Freshmen Get Their First Experience With the THS Fire Alarm

Talawanda High School students and staff participated in a fire drill on Aug. 29, 2016.  Austin Howard, THS junior and Tribune reporter, already knew that the fire alarm could make your ears bleed, but new students got their first jump scare thanks to our piercing alarm.  When interviewed by Tribune reporters freshmen compared the sound of the alarm to gunshots, squeaky shoes, and a pterodactyl.

The National Fire Protection Association Code 72 states that audible fire alarm notification appliances used in the public mode must be a minimum of 15 dB (decibels) above average ambient sound levels. According to hear-it.org the average classroom with 17 students has a noise level of 45-50 dB. Exposure to 85 dB or louder for extended periods can cause permanent hearing loss (American Academy of Audiology). Fire alarms are purposefully loud to alert occupants and to get them to evacuate buildings. The risk of hearing loss from minimal exposure to the alarm is low.

Public schools in Ohio are required to conduct six rapid dismissal drills a year according to the Ohio Revised Code.  Safe Havens International, a campus safety organization, reports that there have been no fatal school fires on record in the U.S. from 1998-2012.  So when that pterodactyl goes off, do yourself a favor and evacuate the building.