A disabled student was left alone for 20 minutes during a fire alarm at Edinburgh College, raising serious questions about safety and evacuation procedures.
Shae Morgon recorded a short video during the incident. Audible instructions can be heard repeating: “Attention please, this is an emergency, please leave the building by the nearest exit.” Despite this, no one came.
The incident happened on Thursday 12 March and was initially treated as a real evacuation. Shae, who is in the second year of an HND in Contemporary Art Practice, has their studio on the second floor. When the alarm sounded, all lifts returned to the ground floor, leaving him unable to evacuate.
Shae followed the procedure set out in his Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan (PEEP) (a plan outlining how students with disabilities are safely evacuated in an emergency). He went to the refuge point and pressed the intercom to alert staff. No one responded.
After the alarm ended and Shae returned to his studio, he experienced a seizure. Stressful situations like this increase that risk. His husband had already been called and was on his way to assist.
This is the fourth time Shae has been left at a refuge point in the same building. The previous three incidents were planned drills. During one drill in September 2025, his PEEP had not been completed in advance. He was again left waiting, with no response to the intercom and no staff support.
The repeated nature of these incidents raises concerns about whether lessons have been learned. Shae cannot self-evacuate and relies entirely on staff to follow agreed procedures.
Shae says the college has an evacuation chair, but staff refuse to use it. It is also unclear whether anyone is trained to operate it. He has suggested evacuation mats as a safer and more practical alternative.
Guidance from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service states that drills should focus on safe and realistic practice, including maintaining communication with individuals in refuge areas.
Speaking today, Shae Morgon, 36, said: “I think it’s great that SFRS are offering guidance and I would love to see a collaboration between the college, SFRS and the students who require PEEPs (Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans). It could become a document people can trust and that meets best practice. I find it extremely disappointing there has been no follow up with me from the college, although at this stage it’s unsurprising.”
Shae stresses he is not seeking compensation or assigning blame. He wants his concerns addressed to prevent this happening again.
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service confirmed it did not attend the March incident. SWD Media has asked whether the service can work with the college to review or support Shae’s PEEP.
Prevention Officers from Crewe Toll Community Fire Station visited the Granton campus this week to provide guidance.
Edinburgh College has not responded to a request for comment.