The tragic accident at Bara'em Al-Watan School here is a painful reminder that all schools must start practicing fire drills and simulating what to do in case of other emergencies and natural disasters, such as sandstorms, floods, and earthquakes. The President of the Girls' Private School Owners Commission in Jeddah, Muhammad Hasan Yousef, calls on all private and international schools in the Kingdom to train students, teachers, administrators, and workers on adequately dealing with emergencies. Lectures and workshops on fire prevention, dealing with fires, and safe evacuation must be immediately introduced in schools. In addition, safety equipment such as fire alarms and fire extinguishers should be installed and frequently checked to make sure that they are functioning properly. Yousef said that the Bara'em Al-Watan School tragedy serves as a harsh lesson on the importance of implementing fire safety measures. Private schools should follow the lead of government schools that have already started raising student and teacher awareness on fire safety. Surveys show that there are over 290 private and international girls' schools in Jeddah with over 90,000 girl students and 10,000 female teachers, administrators, and supervisors. Safety awareness programs must be prepared and taught to them. __
