Fire Safety Procedures

1. SOUND THE ALARM.If you discover or suspect a fire, sound the building’s fire alarm.
2. LEAVE THE BUILDING. Try to rescue others only if you can do so safely. Leave the building by the nearest exit. Report to the building’s assembly point. Wait for instruction from the building marshal or Public Safety. DO NOT re-enter the building until the “all clear” is given.
3. CALL FOR ASSISTANCE. Dial 7777 from any phone or 911 from a private phone. Give as much information as possible to the emergency dispatcher.

1. CRAWL IF THERE’S SMOKE. If you get caught in smoke, get down and crawl. Cleaner, cooler air will be near the floor.
2. FEEL DOORS BEFORE OPENING. Before opening any doors, feel the metal knob or door with back of your hand. If it is hot, don’t open the door. If it is cool, brace yourself against the door, open it slightly. If heat or heavy smoke are present, close the door and stay in the room.
3. GO TO THE NEAREST EXIT OR STAIRWAY. Know the location of two exits. If the nearest exit is blocked by fire, heat, or smoke, go to another exit.

4. ALWAYS USE AN EXIT STAIR NOT AN ELEVATOR. Elevator shafts may fill with smoke or the power may fail, leaving you trapped. Stairway fire doors will keep out fire and smoke – if they are closed – and will protect you until you get outside.

   *Close as many doors as possible as you leave. This helps to confine the fire.

5. TOTAL AND IMMEDIATE EVACUATION IS SAFEST. If the fire alarm sounds, immediately evacuate the building. Once you are in a safe place, contact Public Safety at 7777 to report important details about the fire. 

1. KEEP THE DOORS CLOSED. Seal cracks and vents if smoke comes in. If you’re trapped in a room and there’s no smoke outside, open the windows – from the top to let out the heat and smoke and from the bottom to let in fresh air.
2. SIGNAL FOR HELP. Hang an object out the window (a bed sheet, jacket, shirt) to attract attention. If there is a phone in the room, call the emergency number and report that you are trapped. Be sure to give your room number and location. SOMETIMES IT’S SAFER TO STAY IN PLACE! If all exits from a floor are blocked, go back to your room, close the door, seal cracks, open the window if safe, wave something out the window, and shout or phone for help. DON’T JUMP! THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WILL RESCUE YOU.

1. STOP, DROP, AND ROLL. If your clothes catch on fire, Stop, Drop, and Roll, wherever you are. Rolling smothers the fire.
2. COOL BURNS. Use cool tap water on burns, immediately. Don’t use ointments. If skin is blistered, dead, dead white, brown, or charred, call for medical assistance.

1. SMOKE CAREFULLY. Smoking is prohibited inside all administration and academic buildings. Use the cigarette disposal receptacles outside the buildings. Smoking is permitted in students' rooms. Use ashtrays and be sure ashes, matches, and cigarette butts are cold before you discard them in the trash. Don’t smoke in bed or while intoxicated.
2. COOK IN APPROVED AREAS OR KITCHENS. Don’t leave area unattended while cooking. Use proper utensils of cooling on stove tops and in ovens and microwaves. Clean up grease and appliances after each use. Don’t cook while intoxicated.
3. BE CAREFUL WITH ELECTRICITY. Use only laboratory tested (UL or FM) and approved appliances. Don’t overload outlets. Use approved power protection devices (power strips). Do not use extension cords.
4. ELECTRICAL ABUSE. Use of electrical “octopuses” to obtain more outlets can result in overloaded circuits and fire. Match your appliance power requirements to the circuit power. In most residence halls two student rooms share one single circuit of 15 amps.
   • Formula: Appliance power (watts) = The approximate power (amps) being used 110 (volts)
5. APPLIANCES. For the safety of our students some appliances are not permitted to be use in the student rooms. Check the student handbook, “the Source” for the complete list. Appliances should never be left unattended while in use. They should be unplugged after use and not stored until they are cool enough to touch. All appliances must be laboratory (UL or FM) tested and approved
6. OPEN FLAMES. The burning of candles and incense are prohibited in students' rooms. Bonfires are prohibited on campus.  Use barbecue grills outside and 5 feet from any building.  Bunsen burners in labs, canned fuels used for warning food, and decorative candles being used at events should never be left unattended. Extinguish all open flames, even if left for a very short time.
7. HAZARDOUS STORAGE. Dispose of all waste as soon as possible. Surplus material and paper recycling containers should be stored in a safe place, not in corridors, stairs, or exit ways.
8. FLAMMABLE LIQUIDS. Gasoline, Kerosene, propane can not be stored inside buildings. In authorized laboratories and work shops the storage of flammable liquids is limited to specific quantities and approved containers.
9. OBSTACLES. Storage of bicycles, chairs, desks, boxes, and other items is prohibited in all exit ways and corridors. Blocked exits have caused “chain reaction” pile ups of fallen people during emergencies. Required fire doors and smoke barrier doors should never be propped opened or obstructed.  Fire extinguisher and fire hose cabinets should never be obstructed.

PARTICIPATE IN FIRE DRILLS. Fire drills are conducted to familiarize you with the sound of your building’s fire alarm, the emergency exits which you may not normally use, and the location of your building’s assembly point. Fire drills are conducted once a semester in the residence halls and Greek houses and annually in all other buildings.

Learn the location of at least two exists and count the number of doors from your room to the nearest exit.

If you are disabled (even temporarily), you should do the following:

1. Learn about fire safety.
2. Plan ahead for fire emergencies.
3. Be aware of your own capabilities & limitations
4. Notify Public Safety of your disabilities and advise them that you may need assistance exiting the building.

Look for “area of refuge”, like stair enclosures or the other side of corridor fire doors. Most elevators are designed to stop operating when the alarm is sounding and are not safe during fires. Sometimes it may be safer to stay in your room. Follow the advice of being trapped and call for help.

You are especially vulnerable to smoke asphyxiation. Even young healthy people may not be able to escape a fire if they are intoxicated. They may not hear the smoke alarm or be able to find an exit. Take special care of anyone who becomes intoxicated, particularly if the person is a smoker. Let the Safety & Security Department know if you think someone hasn’t evacuated the building.