UPDATE: Fire Alarm at End of Day Was Good Lesson

Update, 5:40 p.m.: Middle School Principal Debbie Woelflein said Wednesday evening that despite the chaotic nature of the afternoon's fire alarm malfunction, it was a good lesson in preparedness.

Woelflein said she was very impressed with the students and staff at Merrimack Middle School who responded quickly and professionally when the fire alarm began to sound.

Had it been a more serious issue, Woelflein said she was glad to know that their plans are working.

"I appreciate how good the students were. They were so well behaved, so cooperative," Woelflein said. "Something like that gives us a chance to make sure we have the proper plan in place (in the event of an actual emergency)."

The first run bus students were already on their buses when the alarm sounded, she said, which meant that they had to be pulled off and back into a fire alarm formation at the school.

"Protocol is to make sure we know where every child is," Woelflein said. "Every student on a bus had to get off and go into regulation fire drill formation."

Woelflein said because of the timing she called the superintendent's office immediately because the buses were going to be delayed, which would then delay elementary school pick up. When she called, she did not know yet if there was a fire or what the issue was. All she knew is it wasn't a planned drill.

It took about 20 minutes to make sure each student was accounted for and to check the classrooms. By the time the students were back on the buses it was a matter of waiting a few more minutes to get them moving once the fire trucks were out of the way, Woelflein said.

The alarm was caused by an electrical malfunction, said Fire Capt. Scott Simpson. There was no fire and the alarm was not manually pulled. Stanley Elevator and ASAP Alarms and Electrical were at the school Wednesday after working to fix the problem.

Original story: A fire alarm malfunction delayed the release of students at Merrimack Middle School today.

Merrimack Fire Capt. Scott Simpson said they were called to the school for an alarm sounding and upon checking the location indicated on the alarm panel as the source of the alarm, they determined there was no fire.

He said they attempted to reset the alarm, but it would not reset. 

The alarm, he said, was not pulled by anyone in the building.

As of 4:30 on Wednesday afternoon, representatives from Stanley Elevator of Merrimack and ASAP Alarms and Electical of Tyngsborough were both still on site working to correct the malfunctioning alarm.

Parents who commented on Facebook said they received an automated call from the school alerting them that buses would be delayed 45 minutes to an hour, but no reason was given.

The administration at the middle school has left for the day and a call to the superintendent's office has not yet been returned.