taiwanese fire drill

i was informed that friday morning's schedule would be interrupted due to a fire drill. back in brooklyn, that would mean a 10-minute (tops) timed evacuation of the building. here in gaoshu, i was told that it might be finished by 3rd or 4th period-- a good 2-3 hours into the day. taiwanese fire drills, it turns out, are very serious business. the fire department comes to school with a fire truck, ropes, hoses, dummies, and a smoke machine. and the firefighters drill the kids on the following essential fire safety skills:

the tightrope
2 ropes are tied to trees, one for feet and one for hands. firefighters stand guard as children make their way from tree A to tree B.






fire hose control
a fire hose is turned on full blast and handed to a small child. the child controls the spray.






cpr
child rescue workers tilt a dummy's head back, pinch its nostrils shut, and breathe into its mouth. all while counting beats in chinese.




the smoke room
a big classroom is filled with smoke and the lights are turned off. firefighters man the doorways and send the children in. children must find the way out.