A fire broke out at John Wesley College in Suva on Friday morning, destroying several key facilities including the technical drawing room, science lab, home economics room, and a staff room. Fortunately, no classes were in session at the time because the school is undergoing examinations.
National Fire Authority (NFA) personnel responded promptly to combat the flames, assisted by police officers who helped evacuate students. Despite their efforts, NFA chief executive officer Sowane Puamau noted that the response could have been more effective if the fire tankers had arrived sooner. He remarked on the unfortunate loss of these technical rooms, which are crucial for the school’s vocational training programs, although the computer lab was saved.
During a visit to the site later that day, Minister for Education Aseri Radrodro emphasized the importance of learning from such incidents. He suggested bringing in fire safety experts to educate students on fire mitigation strategies and advised assessing the building’s resilience against future fire hazards. Rodrodro assured that classes would not be disrupted in the following week due to this incident, although some adjustments to internal examinations may be required, depending on the head of school’s discretion.
This unfortunate event highlights the need for stringent fire safety measures in educational institutions. The commitment of the NFA and the educational authorities to respond effectively and learn from the situation offers hope for improved safety protocols in the future. The resilience of the school community, alongside plans for enhancing fire safety knowledge among students, is a positive step towards preventing similar incidents.
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