RICHMOND, Va. -- When Richmond students returned to the classrooms on Monday, every one of them did so in a building that had passed its fire inspection.
Richmond Public Schools (RPS) said inspections conducted by the Richmond Fire Department (RFD) began on May 21 and finished on July 18.
"This is a great testament to just two department heads coming together with a great vision to make this happen," said RFD Deputy Fire Marshal Capt. William Spindle. 'The effort started even before the summer school. We wanted to make sure that the summer schools and the 200-day schools were clear before they even entered them. So, the process has started long before right now."
Spindle said three of the buildings had no violations that needed to be fixed, while the issues in other buildings were minor.
"We checked electrical hazards, we checked for exit signs, we checked for the handrails, we checked to make sure that they were storage -- there wasn't any kind of high piled storage, we checked for gasoline," he said. "Anything that could be a harm or danger to the kids, anything that would possibly start or be part of a fire, or even if there was a fire event that the school space would be safe for the firefighters."
Spindle said the goal is to ensure this is the new standard in the coming school years.
"We want to use this to catapult our community risk reduction efforts into the new school year and every school year across the whole city."
This outcome was a far different one than last year when CBS 6's Tyler Layne reported inspections were behind schedule and the majority of those that had been inspected or found to have code violations.
Spindle said the two agencies have taken the lessons learned from that time.
"Just moving forward with the vision and just collectively come together to ensure that the vision came through. Just starting now, starting earlier, you know, prepping, we knew what we're working with."
The issues came to focus following 2022’s fire that destroyed Fox Elementary, which was found to have had violations itself before the fire happened.
Shannon Heady's children have since graduated from that school, but are still in RPS and she said knowing all schools were cleared puts her over the moon.
"We want our kids to be safe in our schools and there are so many levels to that safety," Heady said. "I know that the school board is really focused on safety, obviously, on many levels. And so, it feels great, obviously, as a parent and as a member of the community that all the schools passed."
As for Fox itself, which is slated to open next fall, at a meeting earlier this month, the school board was told roof installations were 90% complete and should be done mid-month, while the window installs should be finished by the end of the month.
Heady credited the work the system has done to get this far and looks forward to a neighborhood staple returning.
"It is so joyful to have the children and the energy in Fox and what I always say, this place is really special. This is a community ground," she said. "It really is a community site and that sense of community and love and support. You know, when the school burned, it wasn't just the trauma of losing the school. It really was a community meeting place and a gathering spot for this neighborhood and beyond."
This is a developing story. Email the CBS 6 Newsroom if you have additional information to share.
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