Students at La Jolla High are very familiar with the infamous sound of the blaring fire alarms that go off without warning frequently throughout the school day. While some students enjoy being able to leave class to relax on the field, it’s clear that the incidents causing the fire alarms to go off are often minuscule but it shouldn’t be disregarded that they cause quite a distraction for ongoing classes. Junior Jack Backus says, “I feel like it’s hilarious cause it’s almost expected weekly.”

About a week after winter break, the fire alarms went off just because a bag of popcorn burned in the microwave. While it was no big deal for the students in the class, the fire alarm could be a problem for those with sensory overload issues. “It hurts my ears but I’ve gotten used to it.” Says Freshman Sophie Wegner. There should be an alternative way to alert the students and faculty without putting those with light and sound sensitivity in pain. Teachers could get alerted quickly but quietly that there’s a possibility of a fire somewhere in the school. If a fire is confirmed, teachers could tell their students to pack up and let them know they need to evacuate. This would give a chance for further investigation without having students freak out and stop their school work. 

It’s important to keep all students at La Jolla High safe, but if the fire alarm keeps going off at the rate that they are, inevitably it will just become a “The Boy Who Cried Wolf” situation. Students will no longer appropriately react to real emergency situations and that could put lives at risk. The administration needs to get this problem under control.