In 2011, FHS students and faculty were ushered onto the ice rink field on numerous occasions, sometimes more than once a day; students could only assume there was a problem with FHS fire alarms.

While there was talk around school about faulty or false alarms there has been no confirming or denying, and following our mysterious alarms this past week FHS wants to know.

When vice principle, Chris Schmidt was interviewed he assured FHS attendees that there is not a problem with the alarm per say—it’s just sensitive; the problem being that it is disruptive to class.

“In some of the areas last year which the alarms are more sensitive, something… triggered it.” says Schmidt, who continues to say “It’s all about student safety. As a student… how would you feel if we had an alarm system that was [bad].”

“I think that it can be annoying [to disrupt class]” begins FHS junior, Jessica Lambiase about being interrupted in class for fire drills, or common alarm mishaps “but it’s obviously necessary for if there was a real fire.”

“I understand… but I’d rather it go off like five times for fake alarms, than not for a real one.” agrees FHS junior, Daniella Debenedictis.

Schmidt also confirmed that these are not “accidental” alarms, they are very real alarms. The alarms we get evacuated for are triggered by something—however small it may be.

The alarms in school are more delicate in certain areas says Schmidt, where some alarms are more susceptible to outside forces and trigger a school wide alarm. So no, there aren’t real fires occurring, but it is enough to set off the alarms, and our system at FHS is nothing short of fully effective.