I thought I would share you all my history with fire drills. This story can help your family who has a child with autism like me come up with a plan with fire drills, such as going out early before the alarm goes off. Enjoy the story.
Introduction
At school, safety is usually the top priority. In order for students to be prepared for emergencies, they usually conduct safety drills to make sure they make sure students are prepared for what would be coming at the school. For instance, they can conduct a lockdown drill to make sure students and staff are prepared in case an intruder comes into the building. They can also conduct a tornado drill, which makes sure students are well prepared if bad weather can produce a tornado during the school day. And in some schools, depending on the state, they can also conduct an earthquake drill, in which students would be prepared in case an earthquake happened during the school day. But the one drill that usually happens the most frequently is the one that helps students prepare for fires or gas leaks, and that is a fire drill. A fire drill is a procedure to get students out of the building as fast as they can in case there was a fire. I live in Madison, Wisconsin, and the state law requires schools to conduct a fire drill at least once per month. I also have autism, a disorder that causes a different function to the brain. In some autism cases, kids can have a fear of loud sounds. This essay will explain my history of fire drills. The ones from summer school in 2018 will not count, because this was not part of the school year, and I don’t have much to say about it.
Before Kindergarten
Before my family lived in Wisconsin, we lived in Nashville, Tennessee. In September 2009, just 8 months before we moved to Madison, I went to a daycare, and there we didn’t have regular fire drills there, although one time when my mom was picking me up, someone set off the fire alarm, forcing us to evacuate, and the fire truck came. After we moved to Madison in April 2010, I went to a preschool, which I continued to go to regularly until I started Kindergarten. At that preschool, we didn’t have regular fire drills, we just had them every once in a while. Every time we had one, I would get so scared, but let that off at the end. I would also go to that preschool during the summer months, and one time, the CEO decided to test the fire alarm, which made me run out of the school, as I got scared. That was the final week of the summer session, and that was in 2015. This event had traumatized me, and prevented me from going to the final week of the summer session because of that. Now to my elementary school years.
Before my family lived in Wisconsin, we lived in Nashville, Tennessee. In September 2009, just 8 months before we moved to Madison, I went to a daycare, and there we didn’t have regular fire drills there, although one time when my mom was picking me up, someone set off the fire alarm, forcing us to evacuate, and the fire truck came. After we moved to Madison in April 2010, I went to a preschool, which I continued to go to regularly until I started Kindergarten. At that preschool, we didn’t have regular fire drills, we just had them every once in a while. Every time we had one, I would get so scared, but let that off at the end. I would also go to that preschool during the summer months, and one time, the CEO decided to test the fire alarm, which made me run out of the school, as I got scared. That was the final week of the summer session, and that was in 2015. This event had traumatized me, and prevented me from going to the final week of the summer session because of that. Now to my elementary school years.
Kindergarten
The first fire drill during my kindergarten year and my elementary school career took place in the first week of the school year. It could’ve been on September 5th or the 6th of 2013. It was after lunch, and my kindergarten teacher explained that we were going to be having a fire drill in a few minutes. We were going through the calendar, and then the fire alarm went off. It was the first time I heard my elementary school’s fire alarm, and it sounded like a super loud whistle. I didn’t have any issues with the September 2013 fire drill since it was the first one.
The October 2013 fire drill was the first of my elementary school career to take place in the morning. It took place on October 28, 2013. Me and a support teacher were reading my classmates taking a cookie from the cookie jar. When we got to another classmate, the fire alarm went off. Got nothing else to say about that fire drill.
The November 2013 fire drill was a bit different than the past two ones. I was actually in PE class when the fire drill happened. It took place on November 21, 2013 at exactly 1:10 p.m., around the end of class. We were having fun in that class that day until the fire alarm went off. I was actually scared, since that loud whistle was activated. My regular SEA held my hand the entire duration of the drill. Nothing much else to say here.
The December 2013 fire drill took place on the last week before Winter Break. It was December 18, 2013. I remember my Kindergarten teacher was explaining a project, and called the students one at a time to grab the materials to make that project. I was the last one to be called, and just when I was about to grab my materials for the project, the fire alarm went off. I actually felt like the leader of the class when we were heading outside for the fire drill.
Now we didn’t have a January 2014 fire drill due to cold temperatures that happened almost the whole month in Madison. This was the only month during my elementary school career in which we didn’t have a fire drill.
February 2014 was actually a weird month for fire drills. On February 17th, which was president's day, we had a pretty long fire drill. It was right after lunch/recess, and I was about to go to the bathroom, but then the fire alarm went off. I headed back to my class, in which students were putting on their coats, and then we headed outside. It actually took a pretty long time to be outside, as the fire alarm wouldn’t shut up. Eventually, the fire truck came, and we headed back in. This one was an unscheduled one, and that event prevented me from going to the bathroom after lunch/recess for a few days. The next day, we had another fire drill, and this time it was a scheduled one. I have to believe that the one from the previous day was to make up that January one we didn’t have. After that one, I got a bit worried that the fire alarm would go off every day that week or for the rest of the year. On Thursday that week, I had brought headphones and wore them for half of the school day. My teachers found nothing wrong on why I wore headphones, although when my SEA took them off, she told me that there was no more fire alarm this month.
March 2014 was almost the same as February. On March 14th, which was PI day, we had a fire drill. Leading up to that drill, I was given some hints that we were gonna have one that day. Had no issue with that one, except it was the first one in which I covered my ears when the alarm went off. The following week, we unexpectedly had another one. It happened on March 21, 2014. It was a half day that day. I was reading Dr. Seuss’s Green Eggs and Ham. During the middle of when Sam-I-am was offering Green Eggs and Ham to the grouchy guy in the dark, the fire alarm suddenly went off. When it went off for the second time that month, I had thought having fire drills twice in a single month would be a thing going forward, since March 2014 was the second consecutive month in which my school conducted two fire drills in a single month. This had traumatized me for fire drills going forward, and still to this day. After the second March fire drill, I had to go on the computer to calm me down.
April 2014 went back to normal in terms of number of fire drills. It was on April 25, 2014, which was the day after my first tornado drill, and it was the same day I rode my bike to school for the first time. We were finishing literacy, and then the fire alarm went off. Nothing much else to say there.
May 2014 was an average one. It took place at or after 9:00 a.m. on May 30, 2014. Earlier that day, when I entered the building, I had a feeling we were gonna have a fire drill that day, since it was the last day of school for May 2014.
The June 2014 fire drill actually took place on the last day of the school year, on June 12, 2014. Earlier that day, we had an annual field day, and one of the activities was called Water Fire Drill. In the afternoon, we were doing some final things to do before our kindergarten year was over, but the fire alarm went off. It was our last fire drill of the school year, and just two hours before the school year came to an end. But other than that, that concludes Kindergarten. First Grade is when things begin to get crazy with fire drills.
The first fire drill during my first grade year took place on September 10, 2014. Leading up to the drill, my first grade teacher had said that we would have a fire drill in around 5 minutes, but it would end up being more than 5 minutes. We were going to the bathroom, and I saw someone doing an elevator fire service check, which could be part of the fire drill. Our class was in the library, and after the Library Media Tech Specialist read us a story, the fire alarm did go off. We did evacuate at the safe spot that we would go if we were in a regular classroom. My first grade teacher joined along and stood next to me the entire time. It was a cloudy and rainy day, but it wasn’t really that rainy during the drill.
Now this is where things start to get weird. On October 10, 2014, my first grade teacher said to us that next week we would have a fire safety presentation. At first, I had thought we would have a fire drill on October 13th, so I tried to refuse to go to school on that day so I could try to avoid either the fire drill, or the fire safety presentation, but my parents couldn’t find anything wrong with me, so I came in late that day. On October 14th, my cross categorical teacher of the year sent me the schedule for the next day, which she would do for everyday up until November. One of the things we would do on the schedule is the fire safety presentation, so I also tried to not go to school that day to avoid the fire safety presentation. This time, I went to school like normal. Fun fact, we also had a lockdown drill that afternoon. We had our October Fire Drill just 5 days later, and I was actually at Occupational Therapy at the time.
We had our November Fire Drill on November 24, 2014. We had it around 9:00 a.m., around the end of our class morning meeting. I didn’t have issues with it, as the next day was the last day before Thanksgiving Break, and of November 2014.
December 2014 was similar to the last month, taking place on the second to last day before Winter Break. It was December 18, 2014. We were on our way to PE class, and I was the line leader of the week. When we were exiting the classroom, the fire alarm went off. We did go outside, and went back in and went to PE.
On January 23, 2015, we had a half day due to Grade reporting as it was the end of the first semester, and we had our January 2015 Fire Drill that day around 10:10 a.m. I was at speech/language at that time. The fire alarm went off near the end of the session, and I actually got scared. After the drill was ok, and the end of that session would be the same as if a fire drill didn't take place.
I turned 7 ½ on February 24, 2015. On that day, we had our February 2015 fire drill. We were actually told we were gonna have one over the morning announcements, and that it would take place at 2:30 p.m. in the afternoon. I got worried when it got nearer, especially during recess time. After PE, we were just 8 minutes away until the fire drill would happen, so we all got in our winter gear to prepare for the fire drill. I put my winter hat on to protect my ears, but the SEA said that we weren’t wearing them for the fire drill, only for recess. But the drill went just fine.
March 2015? This one was a really bad one. It was the morning of March 16, 2015, and I was upset when I got to school because I had missed my mom, and since I had a fun weekend. But that day would end up being one of if not the worst day of my first grade year. I was reading Mo Willems’ Don't Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late!, a spin-off book of Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!. After I read the scene when the Pigeon shouted “I’m Not Tired!”, the fire alarm went off. I had screamed out loud the second the alarm went off. I was really scared when we had our March 2015 fire drill. The March 2015 fire drill had unfortunately traumatized me. That night, I was acting scared, and was very sad and clingy after that fire drill. The next day, which was St. Patrick’s Day, I didn’t want to go to school, because I was worried that there would be another fire drill just like last year. My parents and teachers had found nothing wrong with me on why the fire drill was a reason I didn’t want to go to school.
April 2015 was also bad. It was on April 27, 2015. Earlier that day, we had a field trip to the district School Forest. That afternoon, I was looking for a yellow marker for literacy, and then the fire alarm went off. I was so scared, even after the drill. It was near the end of the school day. The next two days, I was actually off that day, because I was sick.
May 2015 was a weird one. It took place on May 8, 2015. After a speech/language session, I used the bathroom, but when I was exiting the bathroom, the fire alarm went off. Since I wasn’t with my class and the usual exit. I had decided to go to the door 3 exit. It was the first time I had evacuated by myself. My speech/language teacher had found me, and once the drill was over, we found my class. 5 days later, I didn’t want to go to school, because I didn't feel like it. When my teacher took me to see the principal, she thought it was the fire drill from 5 days ago, but that was not the reason why.
Now I actually may have not participated in a June 2015 fire drill. I did remember the fire alarm not going off on the days in June 2015 I was at school. June 5, 2015 was the only day in June 2015 in which I didn’t attend school. That day, they held a field day, and an All School Picnic. There could’ve been a fire drill that day. If a fire drill happened that day, then this would be the first fire drill in which I didn’t participate. But that finishes first grade. Second grade gets more weirder.
The first fire drill during my second grade year took place on September 11, 2015, which happened to be the 14th anniversary since 9/11. When the fire alarm went off, I screamed, and my cross categorical teacher had thought I screamed because I thought there was a real fire, and said it was just a practice, but the reason I screamed is because of the loud whistle of the fire alarm. BTW, my second grade teacher was my same teacher as my first grade one, same goes with my cross categorical teacher.
October 2015 was a pretty bad one. On Wednesday’s and Friday’s, we would go to the next door room for Social Studies. On October 7, 2015, when Social Studies was over, we lined up in the hallway, and the teacher in that room was summing up what we learned that day, and we were also holding some activity sheets from that lesson. After she said that we would continue the lesson on Friday, (I was scheduled not to attend that day due to a dental surgery.), the fire alarm went off. I was so scared, and the class brought the activity sheets outside since we didn’t go back into the regular classroom. This had traumatized me. The next day, I had tried to not go to school and was worried that there would be another fire drill just like in my Kindergarten year. I said to my mom I was hot, had a sore throat, and had spots on my face, which was freckles, but my mom didn’t find anything wrong with me.
The November 2015 fire drill is now considered to me today as the Worst Fire Drill during my elementary school career, and my entire MMSD career as a whole. It took place in the afternoon on November 4, 2015. Earlier that week, the school conducted a lockdown drill, and I wasn’t here because of a follow up from my dental surgery the previous month, and I had a cold, so I had to stay home. The next day, I returned to school. That day was Picture Retakes Day at school, but that day would end up being the worst day of my Second Grade year. We were doing some writing, when all of the sudden, the fire alarm went off. I was super scared. In that email my teacher said to my mom, she says that I would usually do fine in a fire drill. She also said that I was calm by the time we’re outside, but I was still scared, not to mention there was an outdoor alarm. This had unfortunately traumatized me. The following days after that terrible fire drill, I had tried to not go to school since I was worried about the fire alarm going off again. Everybody couldn’t find anything wrong with me, and even my teacher had said we would read the classic fairy tale The Boy Who Cried Wolf.
On the morning of December 4, 2015, the intercom went off, and told the teachers about them getting an email. We were in that Social Studies class at the time. When we got back to the regular classroom, my teacher revealed that the email said we were gonna have a fire drill. This of course ticked me off. Me and my best friend at the time were reading some stories together. When she was about to ask me what story we should read next, the fire alarm went off. This still scared me. My friend even told me to either look at the alarm, or the teacher. I didn’t want to look at that flashing light. She was with me the entire time. No other issues with that after the drill.
We didn’t have a January 2016 fire drill until the last possible day. On the morning of January 29, 2016, I had overheard that we were gonna have a fire drill later in the day. That afternoon, my teacher told us we were gonna have a fire drill. She then told each row to get their coats ready and to put them on our chairs. When the fire alarm went off, I covered my ears, then I uncovered them, so I could put on my coat, and then covered my ears again since it was so loud. While we were exiting, I had actually calmed down. I did so awesome in that drill, with the exception of me screaming when the fire alarm went off.
February 2016 was a repeat of January. We didn’t have a fire drill until the last possible day of the month. It was February 29, 2016, which was a leap day, and while I was heading to my classroom, the intercom said the staff got an email, which could’ve been the fire drill email. Later that morning, when my teacher told me to take deep breaths, this had hinted to me that we were gonna have a fire drill. And that’s exactly what she was referring to. Just like last month, she told each row to go get their coats and place them on our chairs. It actually took a while before the fire alarm went off. Before the teacher read us a story, she did say that she thinks it’s at noon, which would be during lunch. Moments later, the fire alarm did go off. Just like last month, when the fire alarm went off, I covered my ears, then I uncovered them, so I could put on my coat, and then covered my ears again since it was so loud. This one wasn’t actually as amazing as last month. Later at lunch, I threw up because I wanted to finish on time. This would end up being the worst leap day of my life. The next morning, since it was a new month, I was worried we would have another fire drill. I had tried to refuse to go to school, but my parents couldn’t find anything wrong with me.
We actually had our March 2016 Fire Drill on the 11th. Earlier that day, my teacher had requested the custodian about having a fire drill that day, but she didn’t tell us, but my Social Studies teacher did hint us we would have one that day. The day prior, I actually did have a feeling we were gonna have one the next day. At around 10:25 a.m., the fire alarm went off. Nothing much to say, except I actually went home early that day after lunch because I had a stomach ache.
Our April 2016 fire drill took place on April 18, 2016. We were doing a literacy lesson when the fire alarm went off. It was a pretty long one. In the middle, my teacher moved me up to the front of the line. Nothing much else to say.
The May 2016 fire drill took place four weeks later on May 16, 2016. We were doing our morning meeting when the fire alarm went off. This was right after we did our greetings to students. I screamed a little, and then walked out just fine. I did just fine the rest of the day.
On June 3, 2016, 6 days before the end of the school year, we had our annual field day. Before I went to school that morning, I was pretty nervous about the day, so I tried to not go to school because I had a feeling we would have a fire drill that afternoon. My teacher didn’t believe that I didn’t participate in the 2015 field day. I had a great time and actually had a blast at that field day. Later that afternoon, we did had our June 2016 fire drill, and for the first time ever, I had got to see someone pull the fire alarm, which the entire class did after using the bathroom. Because of that, I did not scream because I knew when the loud whistle would be activated. I think this was my favorite fire drill of my Second Grade year. With that, that wraps up second grade. Third grade is when things change.
Third Grade
The first fire drill during my third grade year took place on September 9, 2016. After we came back from lunch, we continued where we left off before we went to unified art classes. During that time, some of the students asked if we would have a fire drill on that day, which hints me we would have one. So I tried to be sick to get out of the fire drill, so I asked my third grade teacher to go to the nurse. So I went to the nurse, but found nothing wrong with me. The nurse had tried to call my dad, but he didn’t respond. So there was pretty much nothing I could do. My cross categorical teacher of that year offered me headphones, but that wouldn’t work since I would still hear the fire alarm, and me wearing headphones during the fire drill would be the same way if I didn’t wear headphones. So the final solution was that me and my cross categorical teacher decided to go outside before the fire alarm goes off. This turned out to be the right choice. We joined up with my class when they got out. This was the first fire drill of my MMSD career in which I got out of school before the fire alarm went off, although this wasn’t put into permanent use in my IEP.
We had our October 2016 fire drill on October 11, 2016. This took place at around 2:30 p.m. Me and a partner were doing a Social Studies activity when the fire alarm went off. After the fire drill was over, my cross categorical teacher gave me a few bucks of class wellbucks.
Two Days after Donald Trump won the 2016 election, we had our November 2016 fire drill. It was actually superhero day at the school, and we were gonna have an assembly later that day. At around 10:05 a.m., the fire alarm went off, and it of course ticked me off since it was a special day at school, and usually they don’t conduct a fire drill on special days like that. My cross categorical teacher held my hand the entire duration of the drill.
On December 19, 2016, my teacher told us we would have a fire drill the next day, which started to make me worried. The next morning, before I went to school, I got so worried and anxious because of that fire drill. During the morning announcements that day, we were told that the fire drill would take place at 1:50 p.m. that afternoon. The class was gonna play math games before the fire drill would start. However, at 12:30 p.m., at lunch time, I threw up because I was trying to finish lunch on time. I was taken to the nurse, and went home early about an hour before the fire drill. When my mom found out about this, she had thought I had puked because of my anxiety about the fire drill, but it was because of me trying to finish lunch before lunch hour was over. I was actually quite lucky to miss the fire drill. I had no issues afterwards as the next day was the last day before Winter Break, and had a fun day that day.
January 23, 2017 marked the start of the second semester for the 2016-2017 school year in Madison. That morning, while we were pulling up to the school, I had thrown up because I had too big bites of my breakfast, which was a lucky charms cereal bar. So my mom took me home, and I had a slight fever, so I stayed home that day. When my cross categorical teacher replied to the email that I was out, she told us that there was an unannounced fire drill that afternoon. I also didn’t know about that, but I did have a feeling we were gonna have one that day due to the temperatures and no rain or snow that day. The next day, I returned to school, and I had claimed to have a tummy ache so I could get out of school so I wouldn’t have to worry about another fire drill just like in my Kindergarten year. I went to the nurse and found nothing wrong with me.
On February 13, 2017, the day before Valentine’s Day, some people came to check to see if the fire alarms worked. They didn’t set off the alarm, but they did set off the stopper alarm that sounds if the pull station cover was lifted. That afternoon, I saw some students next door putting on their coats, hinting to me that we would be having a fire drill. I then went on the computer doing online reading. Later, I saw some cars so that parents could be ready to pick up their child. My cross categorical teacher came in with a coat, also hinting to me that we would be having a fire drill. My teacher was about to give instructions on how to make Valentine bags, but before we were about to start that, the fire alarm went off. This had ticked me off, and caused me to remain quiet and not have a big appetite for a few hours.
Now March 2017 is when things get crazier. On March 10, 2017, I had thought we were going to have a fire drill as there was a jinx that my school must conduct a fire drill on the second Friday of March. The jinx was followed except for in 2015, in which that second Friday of March, we didn’t have school, but we had one the next school day, probably to make up for that non school day. So I tried to fake being sick to not go to school so I can try to get out of the fire drill. But my parents found nothing wrong with me, and there was no fire drill that day, breaking the jinx of having one the second Friday of March. I kept that staying out of the fire drill a secret to my parents. We did have the March 2017 fire drill on March 28th, and I actually got scared that day, because the third graders were going to have a music concert that day. Coincidentally, I was watching the classic British children’s show Fireman Sam on the computer when the alarm went off, and I accidentally kept that playing on while we were outside. When the alarm went off, my teacher brought me up to the front to lead everybody outside. After the concert was over, I had refused to let my parents go, nor they refused me to let me go home with them, because I was wanting to get out of the fire alarm going off. I went to the nurse for much of the afternoon, because I was upset with my parents leaving, and that fire drill we had earlier. The nurse couldn’t find anything wrong with me. The next day, I refused to go to school because I was upset about yesterday, and was worried that the fire alarm would go off again. My parents couldn’t find anything wrong with me.
April 2017 was when things finally changed. I actually got my first fire alarm on April 7th, which was a Gentex Strobe Only, similar to the ones we have at school. Two weeks later, April 20th, we had the statewide Tornado Drill. That evening, I had thought of another jinx that the school must conduct a fire drill the next school day after the tornado drill. My Kindergarten year conducted it the day after the tornado drill, my first grade year conducted a fire drill just 11 days after the tornado drill, because the following day after the latter was a ½ day, and my second grade year conducted a fire drill the next school day after the tornado drill, as the day after the tornado drill, there was no school. On the morning of April 21, 2017, I had refused to go to school that day because I had a feeling we would have a fire drill that day to keep up with that imaginable jinx. At first, I kept it a secret and my parents found nothing wrong with me. I wasn’t even playing sick this time, but I said to my parents that I hated school and I didn’t want to go. But then I told my parents that there might be a fire drill. Due to this, my mom went to school to grab my things so I can do work from home. When I told my parents that there might be a fire drill, they had found nothing wrong with me about why I didn’t want to go to school because of a fire drill. After my dad did some research, he read an article about dealing with noise for autistic people like me. One of the things listed in the article is Phonophobia, which is a fear of sudden loud noises, which are either environmental sounds, or a fear of a specific sound such as a fire alarm. The definition says that people with that fear had a possibility of being exposed to loud noises in either present or future situations. The phonophobia definition in that article sums up perfectly about me. My parents did know that I was afraid of car alarms, blenders, loud dryers in public bathrooms, and other sudden loud noises, but not really fire alarms until I was in third grade. So they made a conclusion that I do have phonophobia. I had even kept it a secret while I was in first and second grade, since I was worried that my teacher I had for those grades wouldn’t believe me. Because I had phonophobia, we had to change how I participated in fire drills. When I returned to school the following week, at first, my cross categorical teacher had told me that there had already been a fire drill in April 2017. I was relieved, but suspicious at the same time, since I did remember that the fire alarm didn’t go off during school in April yet. Later that day, I had an appointment with my psychologist, and he taught me some coping techniques for fire drills, but they wouldn’t help me, and my goal is to not hear the alarm for fire drills going forward. The next day, my CC teacher found out that we would be having a fire drill the next day. Originally, it would be scheduled at 10:30 a.m., but it was later moved to earlier at 9:00 a.m., that way, I wouldn’t have to miss much. That night, I was offered three choices. The first choice would be to go in after the drill, second choice would be to do the drill, and the third choice would be to stay home and do work from home. Option 2 would’ve been a bad choice for me, as I didn’t want to hear the alarm all together. So I picked option 3, but it would’ve been the only time it would happen, unless I was sick that day. However, the fire drill didn’t happen because of the bad weather. It also didn’t happen the following day due to the bad weather. So it happened the following day on April 28th. I came in after the drill at 9:30 a.m., and had a special lunch with the assistant principal that afternoon. We had finally made up a plan for fire drills going forward. That evening, my dad ordered another gentex fire alarm for me on amazon, and I got that 5 days later.
We were told on April 24th that the May Fire Drill would take place on May 1st. We were told it was gonna be a conjunction with the Madison Fire Department, and that it would take place at 10:30 a.m. The day prior, I was sneezy. The next day, I couldn’t even go to school due to a cold. The fire drill did happen, and I had no more issues with that for the rest of May 2017, and my love for school was going back up.
On June 1, 2017, my CC teacher told us she hadn't heard about the June drill. She suggested my parents send an email to the principals and that they’ll get a quicker response. An hour later, the assistant principal (who was set to take over as principal next year) and the team hadn't made a decision about the date of the drill, but told us it wouldn’t be the next day. It was also field day that day, but it took place in the afternoon this time. Later that afternoon, we were told that the fire drill would take place the following Monday at 10:30 a.m. However, just like the May drill, I didn’t even come to school since I had a cold. But that concludes third grade. Onto fourth grade.
Fourth Grade
For my fourth grade year, we were now told the day the fire drill would be with a time, and the time would depend whether I come in late, or leave school early.
On September 8, 2017, we were told that the first fire drill of the 17-18 school year would take place on the following Tuesday at 9:00 a.m. Because this was in the morning, my dad brought me to school late.
On October 17, 2017, the principal had called my parents and told them that there was gonna be a fire drill later that day, taking place after 2:15 p.m. While the class was heading to PE class from Music class, the principal had told me that there was gonna be a fire drill later that day, and told me that my dad would pick me up at 2:00 p.m. My mom was originally gonna pick me up at the end of that day since I had a dentist appointment later that day.
On November 6, 2017, my dad asked the principal an email asking when the fire drill would be. The principal said that they haven’t decided yet, but the next day, she told him that the drill would take place the following Monday at 1:00 p.m. Since this took place in the afternoon, my dad picked me up at 12:30 p.m., which was after lunch. I brought my backpack to recess, which usually takes place before lunch, and when we were about to head back in, one of the teachers asked why I brought a backpack to recess, and I told her that I just did, trying to keep the fire drill a secret.
On November 29, 2017, the principal emailed us telling us that there will be a fire drill on that coming Friday at 2:30 p.m., which that day was the start of the month of December, and was set to be a warm and nice day. Since it took place in the afternoon, my dad picked me up at 2:00 p.m.
On January 9, 2018, my CC teacher of that school year told us that we would have a fire drill the following day at 8:40 a.m. In the email, she asked if we would watch the drill from outside, but my parents said we would wait on the watching technique until a game plan was established. Since this was early in the school day, my dad brought me at 9:00 a.m.
On February 14, 2018, which was Valentine’s Day, my dad sent the principal an email asking about a February Fire Drill since it was getting warmer. She was out that day, but if she was there that day, they would’ve conducted a fire drill that day. Before she replied to my dad’s email, she emailed the office team about a time to do the drill. She asked if my parents were flexible about knowing at the last minute, and a plan of picking me up and bringing me back to school. My parents were gonna have a meeting with the Intensive Support Team at 8:30 a.m. the following day, which talked about future plans, including a fire drill plan. In the middle of the meeting, the principal told my parents that there was gonna be a fire drill in a couple minutes. The office then called the class I was in since I wasn’t in my regular class, and the teacher of that class told me to get my winter stuff, then go to the office. Then my dad took me home, and then later brought me back.
On March 9, 2018, my dad emailed the principal asking about a March Fire Drill. When she replied to the email, it said that the fire drill would take place the following Thursday at 1:00 p.m. Since this took place in the afternoon, my dad picked me up at 12:30 p.m., which was after lunch. Before we went out for recess, I packed all of my stuff. After I finished eating my lunch, I went to my locker to grab my stuff, and went to the office, and even finished a banana that was in my lunch. Since there was no school the next day, when I got home, I turned on the TV to watch a Thomas & Friends DVD that I borrowed from the public library that weekend, which was Cranky Bugs.
On April 12, 2018, my mom emailed my principal asking if there was gonna be a tornado drill next week, since that day was a half day, and Wisconsin held their annual statewide tornado drill that day. My mom then replied to the principal's reply asking about a fire drill. 6 days later, she wrote back telling us that the April Fire Drill would take place next week Thursday at 9:00 a.m. It was set up with the Madison Fire Department. Since it was in the morning, my dad brought me in late. Coincidentally, the thing I shared for a mini show and tell at morning meeting, I showed them my first fire alarm pull station, which I got a few days prior.
Sometime in May 2018, my mom talked to the principal in person and she said to my mom it would take place on May 18th. On May 14th, she double checked with the principal, and the next day, she replied that there were too many staff out to do one, and they had instead planned it for May 22nd. That day, all of the fourth graders were gonna be on a field trip to a farm. However, she didn’t tell us the time in that email reply, and I was worried that it would take place before the class leaves, or after we came back. So my dad asked about a time, and she said it would be at 10:30 a.m., and we were at the farm by then. I had fun on that field trip.
On May 31, 2018, my mom asked about a June drill, but no reply was made by the end of the day. The next day, my dad had told me that there wouldn’t be a fire drill that day. At 10:37 a.m., the principal replied and asked if they can conduct a fire drill at 1:00 p.m. later that day, or wait until the following Monday, possibly at the same time. So my parents had a conversation about which is the best decision, and mom thought that if my dad would pick me up later that day, then it wouldn’t be a problem. So my dad asked the principal to have the drill to be conducted that day, as long as the principal told me in advance. At around 11:25 a.m., the principal came to see me and told me that there was going to be a fire drill at 1:00 p.m., and that my dad would pick me up at 12:30 p.m. When I got home, since it was a Friday, I turned on the TV to watch a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse DVD, specifically an episode called The Wizard of Dizz, which is based on the classic story The Wizard of Oz. So, that concludes fourth grade. Fifth grade is when we finally implement a plan so that I can be ready for Middle School.
Fifth Grade
For my fifth grade year, we had to take one step at a time so I can remain at school, and with a goal to go outside early before the fire alarm goes off.
On September 6, 2018, my dad asked the principal in an email about a fire drill. The next day, she said that it would take place next week Friday at 2:00 p.m. For the first step, my parents would pick me up before the drill, and then bring me back to school after the drill. In the days leading up to the drill, I was nervous since I was gonna go back to school for the final hour (because I was in a safety patrol club and on general principle), and I had concerns if the fire alarm would go off at any moment, so I make gasps and loud shouts every once in a while, because my anxiety stems was going to the fire alarm sound. The day prior to the drill, I had felt full from my breakfast, but my parents thought it was the fire drill. I did go home early that day. The next day, I asked my dad to feel my forehead, and it was fine. In an email, my teacher of the year had requested a meeting for future fire drills that would help in rolling out a plan. In that same email, she said that my CC teacher of that year would be willing to help me with the transition back to school. At around 1:40, I heard a screeching sound that I thought was the fire alarm. So my CC teacher took me to the office, and my parents came 5 minutes later. I was surprised to see that my mom came too. We then went home. At around 2:15, my mom and I went back to school, and she would be willing to stay with me for the remainder of the day, and that helped. After this event, beginning with the following monday, my CC teacher offered me yellow noise cancelling headphones to reduce the gasps and shouts. That did help a bit, and I wore them for the rest of the year.
On October 1, 2018, my parents and my IEP team had a little meeting to discuss the outline of the fire drills going forward. A week later, my mom asked the principal about the October Fire Drill. She followed up the next day and said that the team were thinking about the next day at 1:00 p.m. if it is not raining. The 5th Grade classes would be on a field trip to the Forest Hill Cemetery. However, the weather didn’t cooperate for the field trip nor the fire drill. The principal promised me it was cancelled, and that they’ll find a new date ASAP. On October 15th, the principal told us that the new date for the drill would be that week Friday at 2:45 p.m. For this step, it was nearly the same as September, except my parents would not be with me for the rest of the day. I was picked up at 2:25 p.m. from my dad. It ended up starting at 3:00 because there wasn’t enough staff. My teacher kept my dad posted based on if it happened or not, and when they were outside. When my teacher told my dad they were heading back in, my dad took me back to school for the last 20 minutes, and he went to the grocery store near the school before he picked me up again. And for this one going forward, my teacher would award me a sticker that has characters from the old Disney show called Handy Manny.
On November 7, 2018, the assistant principal called my parents and told us that the November Fire Drill would take place the next day at 10:00 a.m. Originally, the plan was to go to a building close to the school, but I didn’t understand that, so my mom and I ended up going on a driving spree during the drill. I left 20 minutes early at 9:40 a.m., which was after art class, and then we came back at around 10:10 a.m. We listened to music in the car, which was The Beatles.
On December 4, 2018, the principal and I met in the hallway as I was heading to the bathroom, and she told me that the fire drill would take place sometime next week. Two days later, she followed up with my parents and said that the fire drill would take place on December 13th at 8:45 a.m. Because it would take place this early, we would just go to the building near the school at the same time my mom would drop me off. Later, this was rescheduled to December 17th at the same time because of testing. However, on December 13th, the assistant principal emailed my parents and said that the fire drill was rescheduled again to the next day at 9:45 a.m. That day, my dad picked me up at 9:30 a.m., and we went to the parking lot to the building that is across the street from the school. We put on the Beatles in the car so that it can drown out the fire alarm noise. Later that afternoon, my mom came into the school for an observation.
On January 11, 2019, the principal told us that the fire drill would take place on January 22nd at 9:00 a.m., weather permitting. On that day, my mom and I went to the same church parking lot across the street from the school, and remained in the car until it was over. We listen to the music from my dad’s band. I had filmed it from my iPad, and I was originally gonna put that up on YouTube in private. However, that video was too large, and I no longer have that video.
On February 8, 2019, the principal told us that the fire drill would take place on February 20th at 9:00 a.m., weather permitting. For this one, after me and my dad got to the parking lot across the street, we got out of the car, and we remained next to our car for the duration of the drill with me wearing headphones listening to my dad’s band. On February 19th, my dad was worried about the weather for the next day, which is the day the fire drill was supposed to take place. The principal’s reply said that they’ll try to have the fire drill. The assistant principal followed up and said that a call at 8:45 would be helpful if there were changes due to the weather. But luckily, the fire drill did happen, and everything else was just fine.
On March 8, 2019, the principal told us that the March fire drill would take place on March 22nd at 1:30 p.m., which was the last day before Spring Break. The plan was the same as in February. The only difference is the band I was listening to. The band I was listening to was the classic Australian children’s band The Wiggles. I did briefly hear the alarm from across the street, but no major issues.
On April 15, 2019, the assistant principal told us that the fire drill would take place the next day at 3:00 p.m. It wasn’t until my dad picked me up later that day when I was aware of it. For this one, I would go outside with my mom to the spot where my class would line up, and then go back in with my class. I’ve also put on The Wiggles with headphones via my mom’s phone.
On May 2, 2019, the principal told us that the fire drill would take place in two weeks from that day, May 16th at 10:30 a.m. However, rain happened that day, so it was cancelled and was rescheduled for the following week, May 23rd at 3:00 p.m. My SEA told me that during art class on the day the drill was originally gonna take place. Just like last month, I went outside with my dad to the spot where my class would line up, and then go back in with my class. I’ve also put on The Wiggles with headphones, but this time, it was via my old iPod touch. This is my personal favorite fire drill from that year, and from my entire elementary school career.
On May 31, 2019, the principal told us that the June fire drill was scheduled during the final week of school. Originally, she told us that the fire drill would take place on June 12, 2019 at 2:00 p.m., which was the last day of the school year, but she followed up and was scheduled for June 11th instead, and it would take place at the same time. For this last one, I would go out with my teacher 5 minutes before. On the morning of the drill, we had our promotion ceremony. I was getting nervous, since my parents wouldn’t be here for the drill. While we were going over the procedures for the promotion ceremony and the reception, my CC teacher had said that students are allowed to go home with their parents as long as we get approval from the teacher and the office, but I misunderstood that I can go home immediately. So this upset me, because I would be safe from the fire drill. My mom even said that she would be happy to be with me during the drill, but I want to go what we originally planned, but I would later regret it. Less than an hour before the drill, we called my mom, and she refused to pick me up from school before the fire drill. Minutes before the drill would happen, we went out, and I put on The Beatles on my iPod Touch. However, while everybody was evacuating, I briefly heard an alarm, and I threw a tantrum because of that, saying I wanted my mom back. After the drill was over, I talked with my mom by text, and I asked if she would pick me up 5 minutes before the end of the school day, and she gratefully accepted it. So, that’s it for fifth grade and elementary school. Middle school is when things changed, but also when COVID was starting to spread.
Sixth Grade
For my sixth grade year and years going forward, I would go out 10 minutes early with my CC teacher, and would line up with my class when they evacuated, with my wearing headphones via my iPhone to play some music.
On the week of September 9, 2019, I would be nervous about going to school, and said I didn’t want to go to school until the fire drill happens, and my dad even said that my anxiety stems from the fire drill and for me thinking it could happen at any minute. On September 11th, the principal of the middle school told me that the first fire drill was scheduled for September 13th at 2:00 p.m. I was preparing myself for the drill, but on the morning of September 13th, the day the drill was scheduled to take place, I ended up staying home due to a nasty cold.
It actually took a while to schedule the October 2019 fire drill, until on October 14, 2019, the principal emailed us saying that the fire drill would take place on October 22nd at 2:30 p.m. On that day, my mom dropped me off as she was scheduled to watch one of the classes that day. My CC teacher and I went out at 2:20 p.m., and the fire alarm went off at 2:30. The drill went well, but the fire alarms were not. After the drill, the alarms kept on flashing. My next class went on a walk to do observations, and the alarms were fixed by the time we got back.
On November 15, 2019, my CC teacher emailed us, saying that the fire drill would take place the following Wednesday at 11:50 a.m. In the early morning of that day, at the bus stop, I was really nervous about the drill. When I was trying to get onto the bus, one of the students was trying to get onto the bus first, but I would typically get on the bus first. So I asked my mom to drop me off to school, and we implemented a plan about my parents dropping me off and picking me up on the day of the fire drill. Me and the CC teacher went out at 11:40 a.m., while recess was still going on. The fire alarm went off at 11:50, but I got so nervous, and when we headed back in, we went to a special room, and I didn’t go to my class.
On December 2, 2019, my CC teacher had emailed us saying that the fire drill would take place on December 4th at 1:30 p.m. However, this was rescheduled to the next day, December 5th at 1:20 p.m. My CC teacher was scheduled to not be here that day, so one of the other teachers went outside with me at 1:14 p.m, since at 1:10, sixth graders would come back in from recess. Not much to say here.
It took a while to schedule the January 2020 fire drill, until one day in January 2020, I asked my principal if I can schedule a fire drill, and she told me that it would be helpful. I looked at the weather, and I found that January 21st was the sunniest school day of that week. I had thought 2:15 p.m. would work, and she accepted the date and time. My CC teacher and I went out at 2:05 p.m. Not much else to say here.
It took a while to schedule the February 2020 fire drill. On the night of February 14, 2020 (Valentine's Day), I sent a screenshot of the upcoming weather to the principal, and initially said to look at the high temperature for February 18th, meaning that I wanted the drill to take place on that day, and I wanted that to take place at 1:30 p.m. The next morning, my CC teacher followed up, and said it was a good idea. The next day, the principal followed up, and said Friday looked warmer than Tuesday, and thought to schedule it on that day at 1:30, and so I accepted it. Not much else to say here.
On March 2, 2020, I sent a screenshot of the upcoming weather to the principal, and the screenshot says that Thursday was the warmest day of the week, meaning I want it to take place on that day. But the principal did tell me in person to wait until at least the following week. I initially wanted it to take place on March 10th. Since it was not confirmed yet, my mom dropped me off that day just in case this happens. But there wasn’t going to be one on that day, although we did have a classroom hold that same day. So, I initially scheduled it for March 16th in the morning for around 10:15 a.m., and the principal accepted it. However, COVID was declared a pandemic around the same time. On March 13th, the interim superintendent announced that schools would be closed beginning March 18th, and said students don’t necessarily have to attend school on the 16th and the 17th, which includes the fire drill day. So I made the decision to not go to school on those days to keep myself safe. But later, the schools were closed immediately, and there was no March fire drill, and schools would end up being closed for the remainder of the year, and we all had to switch to virtual. So, that concludes sixth grade. 7th grade is the one I have to say the least, because we were virtual all year long.
Seventh Grade
Since my seventh grade year was mostly virtual, there were no fire drills until we went into a hybrid mode.
On March 4, 2021, when we were doing a curbside pickup at the school for materials, the principal came out and told us that they had a fire drill earlier that morning at 10:45 a.m., as some special ed students were back in the building by then.
On April 15, 2021, I went into the building so I can expect what will be going on in a hybrid mode. Around the end of the session, the principal said to me that there were gonna be two fire drills that would take place the next week, because there were two groups of students that were gonna be in person. Group 1 on Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s, and Group 2 on Thursday’s and Friday’s. The first April fire drill took place on April 21st at 10:45 a.m., and the second one took place on April 23rd at the same time.
On May 14, 2021, the principal told me that there will also be two fire drills the next week. Group 1 would have one on May 18th at 3:15 p.m., and Group 2 would have one on May 20th at the same time. I was back in a hybrid learning by then, and I was in Group 2, so I had one on the 20th. The May 18th one was cancelled due to rain, and my CC teacher told me it was rescheduled for the next day, and because of that, I had to miss my early morning homeroom, but the drill also did not happen that day. On May 20th, during early morning homeroom, I overheard my homeroom teacher saying that we would have a fire drill later that day. At first, I thought it would take place at 9:00 a.m., so I turned on my headphones, but I was told it would take place at 3:30 p.m., so that at 3:15, the teachers would go over instructions of how this would work for this year. I did get nervous as the day went on, but I got better before the start of afternoon homeroom. My CC teacher, student teacher, and I went out at 3:20, and no problems occurred during the drill.
It actually took a while for Group 1’s fire drill to be rescheduled. But on the morning of June 2, 2021, when the homeroom adviser was ending the zoom meeting for early morning homeroom, I heard a sound that sounded like the fire alarm. So at 9:06 a.m., I emailed the student teacher asking if the fire drill happened, and sure enough, it did happen. So that does it for seventh grade. Eighth grade is when things changed again.
Eighth Grade
For my eighth grade year, since I would be in High School the next year, for the last few months of the year, I was not told when the fire drills would be until the day before or the day of, since that was the original plan for high school, but I got to help scheduling the fire drill for the first few months.
On September 7, 2021, I emailed the principal asking to schedule a day to do the fire drill that week, since that would usually take place during the second week of school, but the principal and I talked in person and said to look to next week. On September 12th, the principal asked me to check the weather and choose a date that will work best for a fire drill that week. According to my phone’s weather app, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday looked to be the top 3 warmest days of that week. I initially thought Friday was looking to be the warmest day of that week. The principal thought of doing that on that Friday too, and asked if doing that at 10:00 a.m. that day would work, and I accepted that. On the day of the drill, I was actually pretty nervous that day, because I was worried about having the volume turned up to the maximum possible volume to be too loud since I didn’t want to hear the alarm, and I thought there was an outdoor alarm, but there clearly wasn’t. Also, I had problems with my feet, as standing too long would get my feet sore, and I remained outside for a little bit, and I didn’t go back to my previous class.
So for the next drill, we changed the plan a bit. I would sit down on the basketball court during the drill, I had the volume turned down to the point where I couldn’t hear the alarm, I went in after the last person went in, and I would co-regulate with my CC teacher or a social worker after the drill was over. On October 1, 2021, me and the principal agreed for the fire drill to be conducted on October 8th at 2:00 p.m. She also even hired me to time the drill based on how long it takes for people to evacuate out of the building. The day prior, my phone weather app said there was a 50% chance of rain at the time of the drill. So I sent the principal an email, and she said that they’ll try to keep it for that day, and said they won’t call to cancel until it gets closer. But fortunately, the drill did happen as scheduled.
On November 1, 2021, I talked to the principal asking about the November Fire Drill. She said that the next week would be fine. I provided the dates for her. Either November 8th at 2:00 p.m., or November 9th at 3:30 p.m. Later that day, I emailed her telling her about the weather for those two days according to what my phone says. We initially planned it out for Monday, but had to schedule it earlier than 2:00 due to it being near the end of the day for a Monday. But on November 5, 2021, my CC teacher of the year said that the drill was rescheduled to November 9th at 2:30 p.m., because the principal had a meeting. On that day, at 2:20, when me and my CC teacher were about to go outside, some staff members told us that the fire drill would now be at 2:47 due to recess happening at that time. So I went back to my previous class, and then went to recess. Then as some people were heading back in from recess, the alarm went off for the November drill. Since my CC teacher wasn’t available after the drill, I had to co-regulate with one of the social workers of the school.
On November 29, 2021, I met up with the principal during lunch recess, and we scheduled the fire drill together in person, set for December 2nd at 1:45 p.m. This was my personal favorite fire drill from that school year, and from my entire middle school career. I even brought my own fire alarms that day, and even pulled the alarms at the stroke of 1:45.
On January 12, 2022, I emailed the principal asking about some emergency drills for this month, and followed up telling me that there would be a fire drill sometime that week, meaning that it would be either the 13th or the 14th. When me and my CC teacher talked later that afternoon, she told me that the fire drill would take place the next day at 11:15 a.m. Later, this was changed to 11:35 because sixth graders have recess around this time. I was really nervous that day since I didn’t have much time to prepare. During the drill that day, I actually heard the alarm a bit, and I was really upset. After the drill, I felt hungry, so I decided to start eating my lunch early in my CC teacher’s office. This was the first drill in which we began to prepare me for high school. So for the rest of the year, I was not told when the fire drill would be until the day before or the day of.
On February 18, 2022, my CC teacher said to me that the fire drill would take place the next Monday at 10:00 a.m. She told me 3 days before, since that Monday was the next school day. The drill did not go well for me on that day. After the drill, I wanted to change the plan for how I handle the fire drills going forward, but we as a family and team decided it was best to stick with the original plan.
On March 24, 2022, my CC teacher said to me that the fire drill would take place at around 9:30 a.m the next day, which was the last day before Spring Break. However, this was later changed to be at 1:45 p.m. The drill went well this time, even I posted on Facebook after the drill was over.
On the morning of April 25, 2022, I was at my locker, and my CC teacher met up with me, telling me that there was gonna be a fire drill at 9:30 a.m. that day. I of course got nervous that day, because I was told less than an hour before. The drill went fine, but after the drill was when I struggled. I stayed in the social worker’s office for about 15 minutes to decompress with fidgets to play. Then I went back to my previous class. That was the worst fire drill of my entire middle school career since I was told less than an hour before, when I needed more time to prepare.
The week of May 2nd is when I got COVID for the first time. I was hoping that there would be a fire drill while I was out. I got better the next week, but stayed home for a few more days. On May 10th, my CC teacher texted my mom, and said that there would be a fire drill the next day at 10:00 a.m. Originally, I wasn’t gonna be told until the day of the drill, but she let my mom decide to still have me be not told until the day of, or that my mom can tell me today so that I can mentally prepare. My mom did tell me about that, and what will be expected. I got so anxious about tomorrow since there was a fire drill that day. So we made a tough decision, and we decided that my mom would drop me off after lunch so that I could recoup and release the anxiety of the drill. She was not sure if it was the best decision, but I believe it was the right decision. I eventually came back to school when recess was ending.
On May 31, 2022, I emailed the principal asking about if we were going to do at least one more emergency drill before the end of the school year. She followed up a few minutes later, and said to me that the school would have a fire drill sometime that week. I was shocked about this because they had already met the 9 fire drill requirement by law. I wasn’t feeling that great on June 1st. That night, I emailed the principal if they had one, and she said they didn’t have one that day. The next day, my CC teacher followed up with the same response, with the addition of that it wouldn’t that day either. Leaving that Friday to be the day of the drill. Before I left school for an appointment, the office clerk said that the drill would take place around 11:00 a.m. My mom and I were talking about some choices on how I can handle this fire drill. Choice one for me and my CC teacher to walk off-campus and to go for a little walk, or choice two for us to stay for the drill, and do just like all the other drills. I emailed my CC teacher, and said Choice 1 would be the best choice for me, but the next day, she followed up telling me that the other choice would be best since she had to supervise the drill. So when I went out, I decided to lay down with my backpack at my head, and looked sideways. This had worked successfully. So that finishes eighth grade and middle school. High School is when things change.
Ninth Grade/Freshman Year
For my freshman year, originally, I wasn’t gonna be told until 24 hours before the drill would start. The only time I wouldn’t be told of the fire drill as if it was an actual emergency. But as the year went on, I was told as soon as my CC teacher found out.
On September 7, 2022, my CC teacher of the first quarter told me when the drill would be during passing time for 7th period. I didn’t mind if she told me ASAP since it was the first one. She said that it would take place on the 15th at 1:40 p.m., which was the end of 5th period. We’ve decided to go for a walk on the trail that is near the school. I evacuated with my entire class at 1:30 p.m. My 5th hour class from that semester was Peer Partner’s PE. My CC teacher met me on the sidewalk, and we went for a walk on the trail. I even brought my personal fire alarm, which was the same one as the school had, which was being replaced due to renovation that was happening at the school at that time.
On October 3rd and 4th of 2022, I didn’t come to school that day, because I had a cold. On the 4th, the fire alarm went off unexpectedly at 3:10 p.m. This was due to the construction that was happening at the school. My CC teacher texted my mom that this would count as the October Fire Drill. I emailed her later, and she said we should be prepared for the unexpected, and set out a plan in case an unexpected alarm happens again.
On November 9, 2022, my 3rd hour teacher told me that there was gonna be a fire drill at the end of that hour the next day at 11:00 a.m. On that day, at 10:50 a.m., the Program Support Teacher of the school found me, and we evacuated. When the drill began, the Special Education Department Chair met up with us. In the middle of the drill, my new CC teacher met up with us, and we went back in. Me and the CC teacher co-regulated by taking a little walk around the school.
On December 5, 2022, my CC teacher texted my mom, asking her to let me know that a fire drill was scheduled for the next day at the end of 6th period at 2:35 p.m. I went out by myself at 2:25 p.m., and after the drill, my CC teacher and I went for a little walk, and she stayed with me for my 7th period class.
Starting with the January drill onwards, I was told as soon as my CC teacher knew about the drill. On January 11, 2023, my CC teacher emailed me telling me that there would be a fire drill a week from that day on the 18th at 2:40 p.m. The next week was a Bridge/Support week, where students with bad grades go see their teachers for support. That drill took place one of those days, so I didn’t need to be in the building for the drill. So, nothing else to say here.
On February 1, 2023, my CC teacher told me that the fire drill would take place on the 7th at the end of 5th period at 1:40 p.m. She suggested drafting an email to the teacher of the hour, which that semester was Digital Art 1. I sent that email on the 3rd. On the morning of the drill, my CC teacher told me that she wouldn’t be in the building due to migraine. She asked my 1st hour teacher, who was also a CC teacher, and my first hour of that year was Guided Study, to help me prepare. I went out at 1:30 p.m., and the drill went just fine without my CC teacher.
On March 2, 2023, my CC teacher texted me, saying that the fire drill would take place on March 16th at the end of 2nd period at 10:04 a.m. However, on March 6, 2023 at 11:42 a.m, I had finished my lunch, and I was going to the bathroom across the classroom where I was eating lunch. I was also watching the classic Disney show Handy Manny, but then the fire alarm went off unexpectedly. I didn’t know what to do since it was the first time this happened since I was in third grade. I even tried to go on Spotify to put on music, but I got so nervous about changing the media, so I continued to watch Handy Manny, which coincidentally had an episode of Manny helping a fireman. So I began to head outside, and my CC teacher met me near the stairs, and we went out together. I was so scared because the alarm went off unexpectedly. So I texted my mom asking her to pick me up so that she can take me home, but she continuously refused to pick me up since she and my dad were busy. I even called her, but that wouldn’t work. After the fire department came, we went back in at around noon. This event had unfortunately traumatized me for the rest of the year, and my high school years going forward. After the alarm, my CC teacher took me to her office to calm me down, and before the next class, she brought my stuff, and we went to my fifth hour class together. She would stay with me for the first couple minutes of the class, but I just couldn’t get back to work, so she texted my mom, and my mom said she can come and get me. So my CC teacher and I went to the entrance, and my mom came about 15 minutes later. Due to this event, not only was this counted as the March 2023 fire drill thanks to construction, but that my CC teacher decided to make changes to work with me step by step to an ultimate goal for my participation in fire drills in high school. We had a meeting on March 23rd explaining how these fire drills would work for high school going forward.
On April 7, 2023, my CC teacher said that there was gonna be a fire drill next Wednesday at the end of 2nd period at 10:04 a.m. We as a team decided to stick with the old plan for the April fire drill, with me going out early. I evacuated at 9:54 a.m., and the drill went just fine.
Me and my CC teacher were originally gonna talk about the May Fire Drill on the last week of April, but I wasn’t at school for most of the week, so we waited for a little bit. On May 2, 2023, she told me that the fire drill would take place next Thursday at the end of 3rd period at 11:00 a.m. I had COVID on the first week of May, so we waited to talk about the drill until I returned. For that one, I would actually evacuate with my classmates and a support adult, which was the Special Ed Department Chair with me wearing headphones leading up to the drill. I of course got nervous because I would hear the alarm as my goal from the start was to not hear the alarm all together. On May 9th, two days before the fire drill happened, I was eating lunch when the fire alarm went off unexpectedly. It went off at 12:13 p.m. I had decided to throw away my lunch so I could get myself ready to go home, and also put on headphones and put on some music. My CC teacher had found me, and we evacuated together. I texted my mom, and asked her to pick me up to take me home, but she didn’t want to. After people were going back in, my CC teacher and I went for a little walk and co-regulated with me. After we headed back in, she gave me a fidget that looked like a mini Rubik’s Cube, which I ended up keeping. But this event permanently traumatized me for school days going forward, especially lunch. The next day, I went to her office, and she was talking to the Special Ed Department chair about the fire alarm, and also told me it had counted as the May Fire Drill, and that the one scheduled was cancelled.
Now we didn’t have a June Fire Drill since the school met the nine fire drills required by law. But my CC teacher would’ve loved to have one so that I can continue practicing for the unexpected. So, that concludes ninth grade. Onto my sophomore year.
Tenth Grade/Sophomore Year
For my sophomore year, my CC teacher of the year and the rest of my high school career, first had to reduce the minutes of me going out early, from 10 minutes to 5 minutes. Then he would reduce the minutes of me going out early each month by one minute beginning in January. 4 minutes for January, 3 minutes for February, 2 minutes for March, one minute for April, and then finally evacuating with my classmates for the May drill. But that plan turned out to be different from what it originally was going to be.
On September 12, 2023, my CC teacher and I had a conversation, and he said that there would be no fire drill that week. The next day, while I was on my way to school, I had realized that I forgot my bluetooth headphones, but my mom and my dad had refused to bring my headphones for me and said I can go through the whole day without my headphones. However, at 10:34 a.m., I was in my 3rd period English class, and we were taking notes on literary terms until the fire alarm went off. I was so scared since this was an unplanned one, and I didn’t have my bluetooth headphones. I did have wired earbuds, but that would take up time, so I instead decided to put on my own yellow noise cancelling headphones, which didn't help me as much. About 2 minutes after we evacuated, my CC teacher met up with me (it was actually his birthday that day), and told me that it would count as a September 2023 fire drill. I texted with my mom around this time, and then I called her, and I handed my phone to him, and my mom said that she can come and pick me up. So he took me to the main entrance, and everybody else was heading back in. My mom came 20 minutes later, and I remained home for the rest of the day. This event had unfortunately traumatized me. So much so that I began to wear my yellow noise cancelling headphones regularly. That afternoon, my CC teacher called my mom, and said that the construction was the cause of this, and my mom explained a little history of how I dealt with fire drills from the past.
On October 2, 2023, at the end of sixth period, my CC teacher texted both me and my mom, saying that the October Fire Drill would take place Thursday this week at the end of 2nd hour at 10:04 a.m. In the days leading up to the drill, he said I would exit from the art area, and go to a sign that dedicates a person that names the fieldhouse. However, on that morning, I was nauseous because I had a flu shot and COVID booster the previous day. So my mom picked me up after the first hour, and I remained home for the remainder of the day, missing the fire drill.
On October 31, 2023, which was Halloween, during second hour, at around 9:40 a.m., my CC teacher came in to my classroom to give me a post it note that said the November Fire Drill would take place Friday that week at the end of 5th period at 1:40 p.m. Coincidentally, I was actually checking the weather to see what good day this week would be to have a fire drill, since that weekend, my parents would be leaving to go to Italy. I was so lucky to have a fire drill just before they left. Anyways, he suggested that I email the teacher of 5th hour, which that year was World History, telling about the fire drill and that I would leave 5 minutes early. I made a goal that if I do well during the fire drill, I would get a physical media copy of The Beatles newly released final song “Now and Then”, which came out the previous day. On the day of the drill, just a few minutes until I was to evacuate, I decided before that I would go to the bathroom while the class was watching a documentary. After I got outside, my CC teacher met up with me. The drill went well, and I got my vinyl record of “Now and Then” after school.
On December 7, 2023, my CC teacher emailed me saying that the fire drill would take place Tuesday next week at the end of 6th hour at 2:35 p.m. He suggested in the email to talk with the teacher I have that hour about a plan. My 6th hour that semester was called Lifestyle Changes & Choices. The day before the drill, we decided that the whole class would evacuate five minutes before the drill. On the day of the drill, we were in the Weight room, researching some workouts, and I had an alarm on my phone set to go off at 2:25. After my phone alarm went off, we evacuated. My 6th hour teacher stood with me for the entire duration of the drill. It went great. I went to see my personal psychologist later that day.
On January 8, 2024, after I entered to my second hour class, which was Guided Study, my CC teacher (who teaches first hour) gave me a post it note saying that a fire drill would take place Wednesday that week at the end of 3rd period at 11:00 a.m., and that we would go out together four minutes before. However, there was snow on January 9th, forcing school to be cancelled that day. The next day, the original date of the fire drill, my CC teacher told me that the drill was postponed. The fire drill would end up being on a day students were not in the building, which was on January 26th. That afternoon, he texted me saying to not worry about a January fire drill since they had it. It was pretty unexpected to most of the staff.
On February 5, 2024, my CC teacher (who was now my Guided Study teacher for the second semester), asked me to come to his desk, and told me that there was gonna be a fire drill the next day at the end of 3rd period at 11:00 a.m. And since there wasn’t really a January fire drill, we both went out 4 minutes before the drill. The drill went fine.
On March 4, 2024, my CC teacher asked me to come to my desk telling me that there was gonna be a fire drill at the end of 5th period on that week Thursday at 1:40 p.m. That day, I put on some music just minutes before he came up to get me since there was nothing to do after I did today’s activity in my World History class. We went out at 1:37, and the drill went fine.
On April 9, 2024, my CC teacher initially told me that there would be a fire drill at the end of the first hour at 9:03 a.m. that day. At first, I got so nervous since I was told at the last minute, but he was told that the drill was postponed to the next day due to makeup testing. Since the first hour was Guided Study, we had agreed that I would evacuate with my class. I had thought that we would evacuate with my class 2 minutes early, but I was wrong, and I got even more nervous because I would have to wait until the alarm goes off. I put on some music at 9:01 a.m., and then the fire alarm went off 2 minutes later. As soon as I exited the building, I walked away from my class so I could go as far away as possible. I texted with my mom asking to pick me up and take me home. After the drill was over, I waited a little bit to go back in. After my second hour class, and during the morning announcements, he found me and we took a little walk, and even offered me Apple Juice. I did tell him that now matter how far I was told in advance of when the fire drill would be, I would still get scared, mostly if I had to stay in until the alarm went off. If I was told two weeks in advance and I was told I had to stay in until the drill, I would scream in panic the second the alarm went off the same way as if I wasn’t told. I was traumatized by this event, and I spent the remainder of the day recovering from this. Unlike past fire drills in my elementary school, I was thinking about the fire drill for most of the day, and when my mom picked me up later that day, she indirectly talked about the fire drill when she picked me up. And we’ve also decided to go back to the original plan that would last for a while, which includes me going out early.
On May 6, 2024, before class began, my CC teacher told me that there would be a fire drill at the end of 6th period at 2:35 p.m. on that week Thursday. My class that semester was Advanced Video Production. One of the teachers who was in the classroom that didn’t have the class that hour was willing to be with me during the fire drill, and I previously had her for animation the previous year, and she was set to retire at the end of that year. We had planned to leave the building 5 minutes early, and we would walk on the trail that was near the school. However, there was a chance of rain that day. In the middle of 5th hour the drill was originally gonna take place, my teacher from that hour gave me a notecard telling me that the fire drill was postponed to the next day at the same time. The next day, my former animation teacher and I ended up going out at 2:23, 12 minutes before the drill, and we walked around the circle of the trail. When we got back, a security guard came to open a door, and said the drill was over. It felt like the fire drill didn’t happen. There was no June drill due to Demonstration of Learning, also known as finals. So that concludes tenth grade. Heading now to my junior year.
11th Grade/Junior Year
For my junior year, my CC teacher once again first had to reduce the minutes of me going out early, from 5 minutes to 3 minutes, and reducing the minutes of me going out early each month by one minute. 3 minutes for September, 2 minutes for October, one minute for November, and then finally evacuating with my classmates for the December drill. But once again, that plan turned out to be different from what it originally was going to be.
On the evening of September 9, 2024, my CC teacher texted me, saying to me that the first fire drill of the 24-25 school year would take place Thursday that week on September 12th at 1:40 p.m. The next day, the head custodian and I met up, and offered me a challenge to see if the old outdoor alarm still works or not during that fire drill. I accepted that challenge. However, on the morning of September 12th, the day of the drill. I had to stay home that day because I had a cold. I emailed the head custodian, and sent some staff members to check to see if the old alarm was still working or not. She told me that it was not working, and would give that to me. I was really happy when I heard the news.
Conclusion
In conclusion, if you have a child that has autism, or a mental disorder similar to that, and especially if your child has a fear of loud sounds, I recommend you come up with a plan on how your child deals with fire drills. Either make a plan to evacuate a few minutes early, or try to make your child do the drill to make them get used to the alarm sound, although I recommend the former plan. This concludes my history of fire drills.*
*This post will be updated each time there is a new fire drill.
Article that my dad found about phonophobia: https://www.friendshipcircle.org/blog/2014/05/06/noise-control-11-tips-for-helping-your-child-with-autism-deal-with-noise
