Fire Alarm Pull Stations

Submitted by Liz Eagan on Jan 22, 2015

As O&Ms (Orientation and Mobility instructors) take our students around in school buildings and out in the community, our students encounter the pull stations that are in the different areas in the building. Often, they nearly pull them by accident in their travels.

I decided this was an area that needed further exploration. I contacted the local fire marshall who put me in touch with the school district’s maintenance department. I then was able to obtain three different pull stations for my students to explore. As a result, numerous activities have come out of this "crazy idea" that I had.

Activity 1

Create a map of the school and where the pull stations are located. This can be done with the Wheatley Tactile Diagramming Kit from APH or other tactile graphics.

Activity 2

Write a letter to the fire marshall with questions about the pull stations. Find out about different features of a pull station (lock, circuitry, pull handle, etc.) and discuss what their purposes might be.