It could have been the real thing

It could have been the real thing but thankfully it was only a fire drill.
Students and staffs at both the Blooming Prairie Elementary School and the Blooming Prairie High School exited their buildings quickly and smoothly on Tuesday morning, Oct. 11 in drills organized by the BP Fire Department.
The drills were scheduled as part of Fire Prevention Week. Elementary students were also busy last week, creating fire prevention posters. Cash prizes are given to students in three grade categories: K-1, 2-3 and 4-5. The contest is sponsored by the Minnesota Fire Chiefs Association,
Local fire marshals Joe Morgan and Justin Krell said they were “very pleased” with the effectiveness of the drills. Seven firemen participated in the drills. Four fire trucks and a Blooming Prairie police car were dispatched to the two schools.
Firemen entered both schools and blocked entrances/exits to make the drill more realistic, Morgan and Krell said. a stairwell on the northeast side of the elementary school was blocked, forcing students and staff to fine another exit on the northeast side. The main entrance of the high school was blocked.
These drills are just that and are spontaneous as to how the fire department blocked out certain entrances/exits forcing students and staff to choose another alternative exit.
Elementary School principal Chris Staloch and high school principal John Worke both reported exit times of one minute and 15 seconds. 
“We are usually under a minute but with the blocked exits, it took a little longer to vacate the building, said Worke. He said a few doors were left open because the room was vacant and one entrance was limited due to some items partially blocking the doorway.
Unexpected obstacles are the reasons drills are performed, Worke said. “We remind staff to know where all the students are in the classroom; many times students may be in the bathroom, in the library, in the computer lab, or getting extra help from a teacher.
Principal Staloch said teachers do a “good job” in explaining the drill to students as they are departing the building and finding sanctuary across the street from the school.
Krell and Morgan said the main objective of the drill is to get people out of the building quickly and also to record accurate head counts. “We actually held back a few students at the high school to make the drill more realistic,” Morgan said. This forced staff to check every room.
It is important that all students are located and identified, Worke said.
The Blooming Prairie Fire Department participates in one drill a year. Students and staffs or both schools participate in five mandated drills during the school year.