Hoax fire alarms at Peebles High School are 'putting lives at risk'

Pupils repeatedly setting off fire alarms at Peebles High School have been accused of endangering the community and disrupting classes.
Fire crews have responded to calls at the school numerous times over the past few weeks, with claims being made that a group of pupils is setting off the alarms to avoid certain lessons and tests.
Parents believe the hoax call-outs could be detrimental to their children’s education, and harm their exam prospects, while fire chiefs have slammed the false alarms as a danger to local people.
Speaking to the Peeblesshire News, one mother, who asked not be named, said: “The kids are just fed up of it. It affects senior pupils more as their workload is more demanding, because they’re missing classes to stand outside and do nothing. And there are rumours that a pupil is being paid by others to set the alarms off.”
A pupil at the High School said: “I’ve heard pupils saying it is going to go off on a certain period in the day. I think it’s a small group that are doing it, and that they are setting off a match in the toilets or using deodorant cans in the changing rooms. It’s disrupting our learning as we are missing classes because of it.”
Emergency services are now working proactively with the head teacher and school staff to highlight how this foolish behaviour could potentially divert crews from attending genuine incidents elsewhere.
Peebles Fire Station manager Michael Jaffray this week confirmed the malicious false alarms at the school and praised the staff for their support.
“We have received a high volume of false alarms to Peebles High School in the last few weeks, a large number of which have been malicious in nature,” he said. 
“We’re working with the head teacher, school management staff and Police Scotland to stop this happening in future.”
The Fire Brigade is now focusing on “consequence learning” in a bid to teach pupils the potentially fatal results of their actions.
Mr Jaffray explained: “We are approaching this in a number of different ways, including from a legal perspective, together with direct engagement with the pupils highlighting the impact this behaviour has on the availability of emergency response staff, and the risks to other members of the community as a result of unnecessary blue light journeys.
“We are also exploring any technological solutions which may reduce fire alarm actuations. The head teacher and school management staff are fully supportive, and we are working hard to find a satisfactory solution for all concerned.”
Following the October break, community fire officers plan to address pupils at the school.
Mr Jaffray said: “Peebles is a retained fire station, and firefighters are having to leave their primary jobs to attend these malicious fire calls. There could be an actual emergency in the area when our fire crew is tied up with a false alarm.”
An appliance outside the area would then take longer to reach the emergency, he explained: “We want pupils to realise the dangerous knock-on effect their actions have on the wider community.”
No one was available at the school for comment this week, but Scottish Borders Council (SBC) said: “All incidents of inappropriate behaviour like this are taken very seriously and addressed as a matter of urgency. In this instance, senior staff at Peebles High contacted the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and they have been working closely with them to deal with the issue.”