Due to a malfunction in the system, the fire alarm sounded requiring a full evacuation on Dec. 11.  

“I reacted as any of the admin or teachers would and I knew I had to get the students safely out,” Assistant Principal Donna Besser said. “Everyone reacted extremely professionally, so I was proud of how they reacted, especially since we were outside for so long. Apparently, all that it was, was a small glitch in the system, that caused the alarm going off randomly.”

This was not the first time the fire alarm malfunctioned. On Dec. 4, the same malfunction occurred during eighth period, requiring another full evacuation.

“When the fire alarm went off it made me really irritated because I wanted to finish my respiratory test,” junior Ailani Palma said. “Also, waiting outside for so long in the cold made it worse.”

Both times, the Clark County Fire Department responded to ensure there was not a real fire. The department inferred that the low pressure caused the fire alarm to go off. 

“I had open period and during the fire drill they waved me to pass the parking lot, I got really [annoyed],” senior Chasen So said. “I was not having a good time trying to get to my parking [spot]. I was almost late, since I couldn’t get into the spot, because everyone was heading inside.” 

CCSD Maintenance was dispatched to silence the alarm. Yesterday before school, the glitch was fixed by the maintenance team, ensuring there will be no future unnecessary alarms sounded.

“A lot of students get used to the drills, so they don’t take the drills seriously” IT Essentials teacher Wayne Davies said. “This [malfunction] was good because it wasn’t planned, so the fire department can see that we are prepared and know how to act if there is ever a real issue.”