Fire safety for kindergartens and childcare centres

A kindergarten is a building where almost nobody can get themselves to safety. Babies in cots, toddlers in the sleeping room, and a staff-to-child ratio that determines how many hands are available. For childcare with a sleeping area for children under four, the Dutch Bbl therefore sets requirements for the fire alarm system, including transmission to the fire brigade. It all comes down to time: the earlier the detection, the more trips a carer can make.

Sector-specific considerations

• 01Children cannot self-evacuate — evacuation rests entirely on the staff
• 02Sleeping rooms are not continuously supervised and need per-room detection
• 03Very short evacuation window with a limited number of carers
• 04Alarm sound frightens young children — alerting must be carefully designed
• 05Fit-outs and group changes quickly outdate the Programme of Requirements