Fire Disaster Preparedness and Life Safety Program for Preparatory School Students Mentored by Community Health Nursing Students

Background : Fire constitute a critical type of danger in school facilities. This necessitates the execution of disaster preparedness and life safety measures, which encompass administrative and operational efforts to alleviate the occurrence of fire accidents. Aim : Evaluate the effect of educational program on preparatory school students’ preparedness for fire disaster and life safety. Study design: A quasi-experimental research design was used. Setting : The enrolled students residence represented 12 districts out of the 17 districts in Sharkia Governorate, Egypt. Subjects : A sample of 252 Community Health Nursing students who consequently enrolled 252 preparatory school students representing 12 districts out of the 17 districts in Sharkia Governorate, Egypt. Tools : Three tools were used to collect data they were; 1) Socio-demographic characteristics, 2) Assessment of the school building preparation for fire safety checklist, 3) Structured questionnaire composed of five parts they were; Students’ knowledge about the fire disaster, Fire safety awareness, School evacuation practices as reported by students, and Students’ attitude toward fire safety. Results : Statistically significant improvement post educational program was observed in total satisfactory knowledge, total adequate reported practices, total awareness, and total positive attitude regarding fire disaster. Conclusion: The program about fire disaster preparedness and life safety achieved improvement on preparatory school students’ knowledge, awareness, reported practices and attitude. Recommendations: Training programs for preparatory students regarding evacuation process should be held to enhance their practices and behaviors. And fire code and safety principles must be adopted by schools adequately.