Building Evacuation During Emergencies
A campus building should be evacuated whenever
remaining in the building becomes life-threatening, when an alarm is sounded (based upon
verification as per this policy), or upon the request of authorities.
To facilitate the safe and orderly evacuation, those
in positions of responsibility (emergency
building coordinators), Campus Police, or those directed by the person conducting a
large gathering) should be asked to quickly scan the entire building to determine the
source of the alarm. They will look for smoke, fire, heat, flooding, fumes, or any other
threat. When the source of the alarm is determined to be a genuine threat to life or
safety, the occupants of the building should be evacuated away from the source.
If it is safe to do so, windows and doors should be closed as occupants
leave a building.
Once faculty and staff employees have evacuated a building
they should proceed to their designated evacuation meeting location and
report to their building coordinator who will document the evacuation of
employees from his/her respective area of responsibility. This
documentation is essential with respect to rescue operations that may be
conducted by fire department personnel.
If the
determination is made that there is no genuine threat, the alarm should be silenced by
Campus Police or a safety officer and steps taken to eliminate the cause of the
false alarm.
Evacuation Instructions:
The following instructions should be posted on a
laminated card on the pulpit of each large gathering hall (Hart Main Gym, Taylor chapel,
Kirkham Auditorium, M.C. Ballrooms, etc.) The person conducting the meeting should refer
to these instructions in the event a fire alarm sounds.
Upon the Sounding of a Fire Alarm You
Should:
1. Immediately send a few trusted individuals to
quickly search the building for smoke, fire, heat, flooding, fumes or any other threat and
report back as quickly as possible. The alarm will automatically alert Campus Police.
2. Make the following announcement: "Everyone
please remain calm and in your seats while we check to see what the source of the alarm is
so we can accomplish a safe evacuation from the building if necessary. We will provide
specific instructions to you momentarily."
3. If a determination is made that there is reason
to evacuate the building, evacuation should be conducted section by section as you direct,
with those sections closest to the safe exits directed out first. "Please remain in
your seats until directed to leave. Please leave quickly but safely, section by section,
in an orderly manner."
4. Instruct your trusted individuals to scan the
building, where safe to do so, to evacuate any remaining individuals, then evacuate
yourselves. Please help control crowds and move them away from driveways and building
entrances so they do not interfere with any emergency responders.
Employee Training:
The Campus Safety Committee will conduct annual
training for Emergency
Building Coordinators. The EBCs are two employees from each floor in each building who
will evacuate the building when instructed to do so or in the event of a safety hazard or
an alarm.