Extreme Fire Drill

So for a week or so I had been hearing of a fire drill that would be happening on Wednesday 20^th October. A normal enough occurence for a school to have a fire drill but this fire drill was like no other I have ever imagined. It was the A+ of fire drills.  So Wednesday comes around and the classes are shortened to 45minute periods, a bit odd I thought as you would hardly do such a thing when a real fire hit. Throughout the day firemen where scaling the building, running on the roof and in the corridors, several firetrucks where constantly outside, they tested their hoses on the soccer field and enjoyed playing the sirens a lot. At 3.15pm the fire alarm rings followed by a short announcement to ‘stay put that the fire was being checked’ again a bit odd but I just do what I’m told. The school is suddenly invaded by firemen in an absolute panic (seriously good actors), then a second bell rings and we are rushed outside. I love the way they still changed into their outdoor shoes while running out the door in a fluster. They all start whipping out face towels to cover themselves from the smoke and I’m left there like an idiot with nothing, where did they hide those damn towels?  We run, yes run, outside, no walking calmly in this drill, to an entourage of camera and film crew. I am seriously confused and have to try to hide my awkward laughing and act very serious. Once the school is emptied several mega phones make several announcement and then sure what do you know a helicopter arrives. It rescues two students from the roof of the school (those kids are so lucky, I would have paid to have a go in that thing). Then more fire engines arrive. Smoke flares are lit all around the school. The firemen absail down with five students then use the truck to save an ‘unconscious’ student in a stretcher, who is then whisked into an ambulance. After all this the entire outside of the school is drenched with the fire hoses then students are chosen to practice using a fire extinguisher. I am left standing in awe at this theatre performance I just watched and cannot begin to imagine the cost of it all. How extremely strange.