My safty drill story

Today my experience with Japanese school safety drills was greatly expanded. Today we had a fire drill. Or at least that's how it was listed on my schedule. But it was far more than any fire drill I had experienced in Elementary schools, the bell ringing and all the children having to leave school out the fire exists in "single file" lines.
To begin with the Japanese don't seem to do single file. There system is based around a double line and a "mainarai" were the kids stretch their arms out in front of them causing all the children to spread out and the line to move backwards. Its quite ingenious really. ANYWAY, At exactly 9:43, simulated earthquake sounds could be heard over the intercom. The principal scurried past my desk looked down at me with a smile and said "escape." So I got my coat on and followed him out of the staffroom. We converged with a steady stream of children also "escaping" all with seat cushions strapped to their heads.
****I must make a side note about these seat cushions. These chair pillows serve many many purposes. The primary one is that they simply make the classroom chairs more comfortable. They are strapped either to the seat or the back of the chair. But they are often removed and used as floor cushions when the children are attending an assembly in the gym, as there are no chairs for them to sit on in there and they always sit on the floor. Today the cushions were being used to protect their little heads from the falling debris of a fire or earthquake. Considering the Japanese talent for finding multiple uses for every day objects, I would not be surprised if these pillows were not also life vests and parachutes!****
Anyway, the kids looked adorable with their seat cushions strapped to their heads squatting on the playground in front of the school. (were is my camera!)
Safety vehicles of all kinds were parked around the school grounds, ambulances, fire trucks and a truck with a large later on the back could be seen. Our attention was directed to the 4th floor, left side corner of the building. A 6th grade teacher and 2 of his students could be see waving down on us from the balcony. The uttered a feeble and comical "taskete!" (help). Then the fireman's latter attached to one of the trucks rose up and loaded them into the small bucket attached to the top of the ladder and they were brought to the ground.
By now a crowd was building of parents (mostly mothers) neighbors, and emergency volunteers. The the swelling crowd and children were moved to the far end of the play ground, to face the front of the building. Our attention was directed to the roof and waving down on us was a 1st grade and a 2nd grade teacher. Then we heard a humming in the distance. Suddenly a helicopter was in view. It was speeding towards us. It made a few low and dramatic laps around the school grounds and then hovered over the main school building. Two men jumped out attached to zip lines. Soon both teachers were "rescued" from the roof. They were strapped to the emergency workers and hoisted up into the hovering helicopter. It was such an exciting show!!! It was like an emergency circus, an rescue fair! After the helicopter each class in groups went around to different stations set up all over the school grounds, to see more safety stuff. There was a van with a set of chairs and a table and the students were invited to come into the van and sit at the table. Then an earthquake was simulated within the van and the chairs and table and children slid about and shook as the earthquakes classification grew higher and higher. There was a tent filled with smoke which the students all had to run threw. There were other "attractions" too. The kids got to inspect the helicopter and the fire truck more closely and they got to use a chair saw? I though this particular event belonged in the 'unsafely fair' as opposed to the 'safety fair', but that's just me. 4th graders operating a chain saw sounds pretty dangerous. Anyway for the finally 3 large toffs were laid out, filled with gasoline and set on fire. Then some of the mothers came forward and were given fire extinguisher and the had to put the fires out. It looked really fun. I wanted to do it.
Anyway THIS was the "fire drill". It was the most intense and interesting fire drill I have ever witnessed.