'Fire Watchers' Roam Fla. Schools In Push to Meet State Codes
A statewide mandate requiring Florida's public schools to meet fire and safety standards before starting classes this school year has districts scrambling to fix broken fire alarms and clear out electrical closets used for storage.
Districts desperate to avoid shutting schools have hired "fire watchers" to roam hallways and classrooms, searching for smoke, flames, and other safety hazards. Fire watchers wearing bright orange or yellow vests and armed with two-way radios patrolled schools in Miami-Dade and Lee counties when classes started in August.
Tom Gallagher, Florida's state education commissioner, ordered a fire and safety review of all schools in June, after learning about a class action filed by Miami-Dade parents who claimed the district's schools were rife...
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