This afternoon (Friday May 18th around 4:45pm) our Fire Alarm went off. This was not a drill. There was an electrical problem that caused the system to be activated. All children and the building are safe and accounted for. We are so pleased that our staff and children did exactly what they needed to do. They evacuated the building, called 911 (even though the building is monitored by Protelec), accounted for all the children and then evacuated to our alternate place of shelter at Stevenson-Britannia school across the street. As is our habit and our plan we do not allow our staff or children back into a building until the bells stop ringing AND we have been given permission by the Fire Department or in the case of a drill permission from our Senior Management. Be assured we have your children’s best interest in mind and have access to our alternate place of shelter during all operating hours including evenings and week-ends. We would also like to strongly encourage all parents to follow similar procedures and not enter a building until the fire bells have stopped ringing and the Fire Department has given us the “all clear”. It can be confusing for children to be taught one thing while in our care and shown another while in your care.
A big thank you to the staff who managed the situation without any help from management, the Winnipeg Fire Department for their quick and courteous response, the School Division for organizing the trades needed to correct the problem and the parents who made arrangements for their childs evening care so we could have time to rectify the electrical problem and return to normal operations on Saturday.
Have a good week-end everyone.
Ron Blatz – Executive Director