TRNC Chamber of Architects calls for fire safety checks at all schools

Onur Olguner, chairman of the TRNC Chamber of Architects, called for a professional assessment of fire safety at all schools in Northern Cyprus and for a schedule to be drawn up for eliminating the deficiencies identified at each educational institution.

The appeal came in the first weeks of the school year: the 2026–2027 academic year began in Northern Cyprus at 196 schools attended by 59,000 children. There was no specific fire or incident that prompted the statement — Olguner insists that the checks must not be postponed until the first emergency.

The chamber listed what must be checked at every school. Emergency exit doors must open in the direction of the exit, corridors and stairways must remain free of furniture and stored items, and evacuation routes must be kept clear at all times. Evacuation plans showing exits and the locations of fire-fighting equipment must be displayed in prominent places.

A separate set of requirements concerns equipment: fire detection, alarm and emergency lighting systems; regular maintenance of fire extinguishers and other equipment; as well as fire drills and evacuation exercises with children. At schools where necessary, Olguner proposes assessing the installation of automatic sprinkler systems and checking whether the distances to exits comply with the requirements of the regulation on the protection of buildings from fire.

The head of the chamber criticized the practice of carrying out repair and construction work at schools without the involvement of architects and offered the Ministry of Education the organization’s technical support. The appeal was also addressed to parent committees and the guardians of students.