ACCORDING TO the Garda Community Liaison Unit, large schools, those in urban areas and schools which have already been the target for a suspicious fire are most vulnerable. Schools in isolated areas, or in areas with high crime and drug dealing, may require special protection.

Gardai recommend that schools draw up an action plan against arson, which starts with a policy of discouraging unwanted visitors. The school boundary should be clearly identified young people should not be able to wander close to the school after hours. Fencing may be a short term expense, but it should cut down the annual bill for clean ups and repairs.

Principals should encourage neighbours to keep watch. "Criminals are less likely to attack a school where there is a strong sense of `ownership' by the local community."

Also, flammable materials should be locked away and refuse stored in brick compounds or behind wire netting.

Early warning a matter of a few minutes can spell the difference between a insignificant fire and a disaster in which the school is destroyed, gardai say. Fire detection systems, monitored at a central station, are becoming more common, as are sprinklers.

If a school has a fire, however small, the chance of another one soon after is greatly increased. So all fires, however small, should be reported to the Department of Education and the fire brigade.