Disabled teenager who was left in school during fire takes safety campaign

Lucy_Scope

A teenage boy who was left alone upstairs during a school fire has taken his campaign for stronger safety rules for disabled students to Parliament.

Lucas Vezza-O'Brien has cerebral palsy and says he was "terrified" when smoke began to fill the corridor on the first floor of his school in Hyde, Greater Manchester, in November 2024.

The now 17-year-old was told to stay at a refuge point while the rest of his fellow pupils were taken out of the building.

He said: "I had to be left upstairs by myself, so I was petrified. I could actually smell the smoke, and smoke is the biggest killer in a fire.
"It felt like i wasn't even human. Seeing all my friends leave - they're safe, and i'm stuck inside. I had no idea when I would get out.

Lucas uses a wheelchair, and was unable to leave the school because there was no safe way to get him down the stairs and out of the building.

Lucas has brought his campaign to London to be debated in the House of Commons.

A Hyde High School spokesperson said Lucas was looked after in a designated refuge area which is protected from fire and smoke and was checked on regularly while a plan was made to get him out of the building safely.

But Lucas said the whole experience was terrifying and made him feel powerless.

He said: "Every time I think of it I get a tear to my eye.

"We have a load of evidence that backs up that it needs changing, and Ive had hundreds of messages from other people saying they've had a similar experience to me. It's upsetting, really."

The fire turned out to be minor, but the scare has sparked a powerful campaign. The teenager is now calling for evacuation chairs to be made a legal requirement in every school.

Evacuation chairs are specially designed to be used by people with limited mobility to get down stairs during emergencies such as a fire when lifts are unsafe to use.

There is currently no legal requirement for schools to have evacuation chairs installed; something Lucas is hoping to change.

Teenager campaigns for better safety after being left in school during fire.

Lucas said: "After it happened, I researched the current legislation and I was shocked to see that schools don't have evac-chairs.

"They might be costly but you can't put a price on my life, or other people's."

Since launching the petition, more than 100,000 have backed his campaign and now MPs will debate the introduction of mandatory evacuation chairs in the House of Commons.

Lucas' campaigning has already made a difference at his own high school, where four evacuation chairs have been fitted to ensure he never has to be left behind again.

"My message to the Government is that school is a place of learning, not to be anxious, not to be terrified", he said.

"We should feel safe, because this is for our future, and no student should be left behind."

In a statement, the Government said: “Nothing is more important than the safety of every single pupil and staff member in schools and colleges."
It added: “Our guidance makes clear that evacuation chairs must be provided in every case where it is listed under a student or member of staff’s personal emergency evacuation plan."

Watch Lucas' interview

trouble5316

I be glad sign petition myself

Trevor_PIP

Well done Lucas!