Fire awareness training in education has to be practical. A school, creche, college or training centre is not an ordinary workplace. The people in the building may include young children, pupils with additional needs, students unfamiliar with the layout, substitute teachers, visitors, contractors, parents, evening groups and staff working after hours.

When the alarm sounds, staff do not have time to look for a policy. They need to know how to raise the alarm, guide people out, account for their group, report concerns and keep themselves safe. The building systems matter, but the behaviour of staff in the first few minutes matters just as much.

This guide explains fire awareness training for Irish education settings. It covers the legal duties, school and early years requirements, fire drills, PEEPs, fire safety registers, substitute staff, after-hours use and the practical content that training should include.

The Legal Position in Ireland

The Fire Services Act 1981, section 18 applies to premises used for teaching, training or research and to premises used by the public. The person having control must take reasonable measures to guard against fire and ensure, so far as reasonably practicable, the safety of persons on the premises if fire breaks out.

The Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 also applies to staff. Employers must manage work safely, assess risks, prepare emergency procedures and provide information, instruction, training and supervision. The duty covers teachers, special needs assistants, caretakers, administrative staff, catering staff, cleaners and other employees.

The HSA fire guidance links workplace fire safety to prevention, detection and warning, emergency escape and fire fighting arrangements. It also notes that employers must prepare and revise adequate emergency plans and procedures and provide necessary measures for fire fighting and evacuation.

For early years services, the Child Care Act 1991 (Early Years Services) Regulations 2016 are directly relevant. Regulation 26 requires records of fire drills and records of the number, type and maintenance of fire-fighting equipment and smoke alarms. The regulations also require a notice of fire procedures to be displayed in a conspicuous position and require relevant fire records to be retained for five years.

Who Is Responsible

Responsibility depends on the setting, but it cannot be left vague. In a school, the board of management, principal and any person with control over parts of the premises may all have roles. In a creche or early years service, the registered provider and person in charge must ensure the fire safety policy, procedures, training and records are in place. In a college or campus, responsibility may sit across estates, heads of school, accommodation, security and local managers.

The practical test is simple: if a fire authority, Tusla inspector, HSA inspector or insurer asks who manages fire safety, the organisation should be able to answer clearly. That answer should include who organises drills, who checks records, who reports defects, who closes actions, who updates the procedure and who briefs new or temporary staff.

Fire awareness training should support those responsibilities. Senior staff need enough understanding to govern the system. Classroom and room-based staff need clear local procedures. Caretakers and facilities staff need enough knowledge to identify defects in doors, exits, alarms, extinguishers, storage and contractor works. One course may not suit every role.

Why Education Settings Need Specific Training

Education settings bring together high occupancy, fixed timetables, changing rooms, vulnerable users and busy circulation spaces. The building may include classrooms, corridors, halls, toilets, stores, kitchens, laboratories, workshops, sensory rooms, sleep rooms, libraries, sports areas and temporary accommodation. Each area can create a different fire safety challenge.

Young children need clear direction and supervision. Some pupils may become distressed by alarms or crowds. Students with mobility, sensory, medical or cognitive needs may need individual support. Visitors and substitute staff may not know the escape routes. Contractors may be working in areas that affect fire precautions. Training has to deal with that real mix of people and activity.

Fire awareness training should therefore be local. A generic session can explain fire behaviour and legal duties, but staff also need to understand their own building, alarm sound, assembly point, evacuation routes, fire doors, call points, fire panel arrangements and procedures for pupils or children who need assistance.

What Staff Should Know

Every staff member should know what to do if they discover a fire, what to do when the alarm sounds, how to raise the alarm, where to evacuate, which assembly point applies, how to account for pupils or children, who calls 112 or 999, and who gives information to the fire service on arrival.

Training should also cover common causes of fire in education. These include electrical equipment, chargers, extension leads, science and technology rooms, home economics kitchens, staff kitchens, art materials, seasonal decorations, heating appliances, stores, plant rooms, waste, smoking and contractor works.

Staff should understand the limits of first-aid fire fighting. Fire extinguishers should only be used by people who have been trained, where it is safe to do so, where the fire is small, where the correct extinguisher is available and where the person has a clear escape route behind them. Staff should not delay evacuation or put themselves at risk.

Fire awareness is not the same as fire warden training. General staff need to know how to prevent fire and respond to the alarm. Fire wardens or nominated staff need additional training on area checks, reporting, assembly point control, fire panel information, visitor arrangements and escalation to the person in charge.

A good training record should show more than attendance. It should state the date, trainer, content covered, staff present, practical elements, local procedures discussed and any follow-up needed. If the session includes extinguisher familiarisation, the record should make clear what was demonstrated and whether staff were expected to use extinguishers in a real event or simply understand their limitations.

Fire Drills in Schools

Fire drills are where the procedure meets reality. A written plan may look sound until a drill shows that pupils use the wrong door, staff cannot hear the alarm in a particular area, a route is blocked, visitors are not accounted for, or the assembly point creates a problem.

Dublin Fire Brigade's school guidance states that fire evacuation drills should be carried out at least once per school term. That is a sensible benchmark for schools because it catches changes in pupils, staff, rooms, timetables and routines across the year.

A useful drill should have an objective. It may test evacuation from a particular building, a blocked route, a lunch-time scenario, a wet-day assembly point, substitute cover, after-school activity, or support for a pupil with additional needs. Not every drill has to be complicated, but the programme should test more than one easy scenario.

The drill record should include the date, time, scenario, areas involved, number of people evacuated, time taken, issues found, people responsible for actions and evidence that actions were closed. A drill with no follow-up is only a rehearsal. A drill with honest review is a management tool.

Assembly points should be checked as carefully as escape routes. Pupils should not be left standing where they block fire service access, spill onto a road, gather too close to the building or mix in a way that makes roll calls unreliable. Wet weather, cold weather and pupils with medical needs should also be considered because a real evacuation may not happen on a convenient day.

Early Years and Creches

Early years settings need particular care because children cannot be expected to evacuate independently. Babies, toddlers and young children need calm direction, sufficient staff, suitable equipment and a procedure that matches the layout of the service.

The fire safety policy for an early years service should state how staff, unpaid workers and contractors are made aware of and trained in the procedures to be followed in case of fire. It should also address familiarity with the location and use of fire-fighting equipment, the frequency and timing of fire drills, and how fire drill and equipment records are maintained.

The attendance record is critical during evacuation. Staff must know who is present, who has been collected, who is asleep, who is outside, and who may need medication or additional support. If children are split between rooms, outdoor play areas or sleep areas, the procedure must still allow a reliable headcount at the assembly point.

Evacuation cots, buggies, evacuation mats or other aids should be available where needed and staff should practise using them. It is not enough to own the equipment. Staff must know where it is kept, how to deploy it and how many children can realistically be moved with the staff available.

Pupils With Additional Needs

Schools should plan for pupils, students or staff who may need help during evacuation. This may include mobility difficulties, visual or hearing impairment, neurodiversity, anxiety, medical needs, temporary injury or a need for additional adult support.

A Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan may be needed where an individual requires specific arrangements. The plan should cover the assistance required, the route, the equipment, the staff involved, communication needs and the first place of safety. It should be reviewed when needs, rooms, staffing or the building change.

The plan should also be discreet and respectful. Pupils should not be made to feel singled out during drills, but the school must still test whether the arrangement works. If a pupil uses a lift in normal circumstances, staff must know what happens if that lift cannot be used during a fire alarm.

Substitute Staff, Visitors and Contractors

A school can have a strong fire procedure and still fail if substitute teachers, visiting coaches, contractors or evening users are not told what to do. Anyone supervising pupils or children needs enough fire safety information to act immediately.

Substitute teachers should receive a short local fire briefing before they take charge of a class. That briefing should include the alarm signal, evacuation route from the assigned room, assembly point, class roll or accountability process, and who to report to outside.

Contractors should be controlled because they can create fire risk or interfere with fire precautions. Hot works, temporary electrics, isolated detectors, blocked corridors, open service penetrations, dust covers and propped doors all need management. The school should know what work is happening and how fire precautions will be reinstated.

After-hours users need clear arrangements too. Sports clubs, community groups, evening classes and events may use the building when the normal school team is absent. The person in charge of the activity should know how to raise the alarm, evacuate, call the fire service and account for the group.

The Fire Safety Register

The fire safety register should be current and easy to use. It should not be a dusty folder opened only before inspection. It should contain fire drill records, staff training records, alarm tests, emergency lighting checks, extinguisher service records, fire door checks, fire risk assessment findings, action plans and records of faults or incidents.

For schools, the register should also support management review. If the same issue appears after every drill, such as slow evacuation from one block or confusion at the assembly point, management should record the cause and the corrective action. Repeated findings are evidence that the procedure needs improvement.

For early years services, the 2016 regulations are clear that fire drill and fire equipment records must be retained and open to inspection by specified persons. The record should therefore be accurate, legible and available on the premises.

Fire Prevention in Daily School Life

Fire awareness training should change daily behaviour. Staff should challenge blocked corridors, wedged fire doors, overloaded sockets, unsafe charging, combustible materials stored near heaters, poor waste control, damaged extinguishers and storage in plant rooms or under stairs.

Seasonal activities need attention. Decorations, concerts, school plays, science demonstrations, cooking activities and art projects can introduce fuel and ignition sources. Materials should be controlled, exits kept clear and staff briefed before the event.

School halls deserve particular attention because they are often used for assemblies, exams, concerts, plays, parent evenings and community events. Seating layouts should not block exits or reduce escape route widths. Temporary stages, sound equipment, extension leads, curtains, costumes and props should be controlled. The person running the event should know the evacuation procedure before people arrive.

Laboratories, technology rooms, art rooms and home economics rooms need local rules. Chemicals, gas, electrical equipment, hot surfaces, kilns, soldering, cooking oils and combustible materials can all increase risk. Fire awareness training should tell staff how these rooms are isolated, what should be checked at the end of class, and when specialist assistance is needed.

Fire doors deserve specific attention. They protect escape routes and slow the spread of smoke and fire. A fire door held open by an approved device linked to the alarm is different from a door wedged open with furniture or equipment. Staff should know the difference and report defects.

Alarm, Emergency Lighting and Equipment

Fire alarm systems, emergency lighting and fire-fighting equipment should be maintained by competent persons. The relevant standards and service arrangements depend on the system and building, but the school or provider should know who maintains each system, when it was last tested, and whether any defects remain open.

Alarm audibility should be checked in real conditions. If the alarm cannot be heard clearly in a sports hall, music room, toilet block, external classroom or temporary building, the evacuation plan is weakened. Staff should report any area where the alarm is unclear.

Extinguishers should be visible, accessible and suitable for the risks nearby. Staff should not move them to prop doors, hide them behind storage or assume they are only a service contractor's concern. Missing or damaged equipment should be reported promptly.

Different Education Settings

Primary schools need simple, consistent procedures. Classroom teachers should know their route and assembly point. SNAs and support staff should know which pupils need assistance. The principal or nominated person should coordinate drills, register checks and actions.

Secondary schools need stronger arrangements for movement between classes. A student may be in science, PE, technology, a toilet area, a music room or a separate block when the alarm activates. The procedure must account for timetable movement, large assembly areas and specialist rooms.

Third-level institutions and training centres often have multiple buildings, laboratories, workshops, lecture theatres and public access. Fire awareness training may need to be split by role, with additional training for laboratory staff, facilities teams, security, accommodation teams and nominated wardens.

How Phoenix STS Can Help

Phoenix STS provides on-site fire safety awareness training for schools, creches, childcare services, colleges and other education settings across Ireland. Training can be tailored to the building, age group, staff roles and evacuation arrangements.

We also provide fire safety consultancy, fire risk assessments, fire drill support and practical advice on fire safety records. For wider course information, see our guide to fire safety training in Dublin and nationwide.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is fire awareness training required in schools?

Yes. Staff need suitable fire safety information, instruction and training under workplace safety law, and the person having control of the premises has duties under the Fire Services Act. The training should reflect the school's own fire procedures.

How often should schools carry out fire drills?

Local fire authority guidance commonly expects school fire evacuation drills at least once per term. Drills should be recorded and reviewed, with actions closed where weaknesses are found.

Do early years services need fire drill records?

Yes. The Early Years Services Regulations 2016 require written records of fire drills and fire-fighting equipment and smoke alarm information, with those records retained for five years after creation.

Do substitute teachers need fire safety information?

Yes. Anyone supervising pupils should receive a short local briefing covering the alarm, escape route, assembly point, accountability process and who to report to during evacuation.

Contact Phoenix STS

For fire awareness training in a school, creche, college or education setting, contact Phoenix STS on 043 334 9611 or use the Phoenix STS contact page.

This article is for general information only and is not legal advice. Fire safety arrangements should be based on the premises, occupants, fire risk assessment, local procedures and competent advice.