The Facts
Here are some facts that have not been posted yet.
First off, the cause of the fire, based upon the Maryland State Fire Marshal's investigation and formal report, the listed cause of the fire is noted as "pyralisis". It had nothing to do with electrical. Pyralisis is a phenomenon caused when wood, which is near a heat source such as a fire place or through wall heater, has an accelerated form of decay due to the constant heating and cooling. When oxygen and other conditions surrounding the wood hit exactly right, the wood spontaneously combusts.
Second, not all schools in St. Mary's County have automatic fire suppression systems. Several do not. Many of those that have been renovated over the past several years have had them installed, but those over 25 years old likely have none.
As far as fire alarms, the trailer classrooms have fire alarms, since building and life safety codes require them. The alarms are inter-connected to the main building so an alarm will activate the main alarm and notify the monitoring center and generate an alarm to the main building and all of the trailers for evacuation purposes. The problem with some of the alarms is that they are not automatic in some cases. Some may have only a manual pull stations that require a person to activate the alarm. This meets the code and protects the occupants, but during times when no one is inside to pull the alarm, it does little to protect the structure. The primary function of the alarm is to alert occupants to an emergency and have them exit to safety.
Finally, quoting your ridiculous letter to the BoE you write "...the true school buildings are made of brick and block that do not burn". You left out steel beams and metal studs and everything else that goes into commercial construction that doesn't burn. Again, a very misinformed statement. If your statement was fact, you'd never need a sprinkler system in the first place, right? Why have a sprinkler system in a building that certainly can't burn. Fact is that while these materials themselves may be non-combustible, the wall covering, wood doors, carpet, wire insulation, desks, chairs, wall art/decorations, school supplies and most everything else in the building which is not part of the construction is 100-percent combustible. These are the materials that cause a building construction of bricks and mortar to burn to the ground.
So, before you go try to light your own fires, get the facts straight and pull your head out from whatever hole you keep it in.
