Surveys, AHERA and Fire Safety
In March of 1954 a fire in the Cleveland Hill Elementary School, in Cheektowaga, NY, a suburb of Buffalo, killed 15 sixth graders. In 1955 the New York Legislature passed a law requiring annual fire safety inspections. The NYS Education Department administrates this annual inspection and is proud to state that there has not been a fatality or serious injury from a fire in a NY State Public School since the Cleveland Hill fire.
Facilites Planning conducts a series of surveys on school facilities. The Building Condition Survey (BCS) is a professional survey administered every fifth year, beginning in 2000. For the four years between, the Annual Visual Inspection (AVI) continues oversight of district facilities. The surveys cover any occupied district facility. Surveys are to be completed by November 15th of each year and must be submitted via our online system by the following January 15th.