III. Fire Evacuation and Safety Procedures
III. Fire Evacuation and Safety Procedures
A. Initial Response
1. Remain calm.
Upon discovering smoke or fire, close doors and windows in the
immediate area of the fire, if safe to do so, to confine the fire to as small
an area as possible.
2. Report the fire.
a. Pull the handle on the fire alarm box nearest the area of the fire (in
Neilson Library, there is a pull alarm near each stairway). This will
alert other building residents to the danger and give them time to
evacuate safely.
b. If practical and safe to do so, notify Campus Police at extension 800.
Red emergency telephones in Neilson Library stacks ring directly to
Campus Police (see floor plan at Appendix D for phone locations).
Give the exact location and extent of the fire, if known.
3. Do not attempt to fight the fire.
Smith College policy forbids fire fighting by any faculty, staff, student or
visitor. Unless a person is properly trained in fire fighting, attempting to
fight a fire could spread the fire and lead to greater loss of life and
property.
4. Should you catch fire, stop, drop to the floor, and roll to smother the
flames. Never run, as this fans the flames. If you see someone on fire,
help them to stop, drop and roll. Use a blanket or clothing to help smother
the flames.
B. Evacuating the building
1. Everyone must immediately begin the orderly evacuation of the building
using the closest available escape routes. Do not attempt to use elevators,
since they will not function during a fire alarm emergency.
2. Leave lighting “as is” when leaving the building.
3. Telephones should not be used, unless the call relates to the fire situation.
4. During an evacuation, no one will be permitted to enter or re-enter the
building unless accompanied by Facilities Management, Campus Police or
Fire Department personnel, until the all-clear is given by the ranking
officer of Campus Police or the Fire Department.
5. Regardless of cause, the activation of a building’s fire alarm system is an
order to initiate the immediate and orderly evacuation of the building.
Ignoring a persistent activated fire alarm is not acceptable.
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III. Fire Evacuation and Safety Procedures
6. After evacuating, all people should remain at least 50 feet from the
building, well away from all exterior doors and stairways. Do not block
emergency personnel’s access to the building.
7. Command at the scene:
a. Campus Police is responsible for communicating with support
agencies in all emergency situations. The ranking Campus Police
officer at the scene will establish a command post as close to the
ground floor main entrance of the building as possible, and direct
operations as appropriate.
b. All people having important information (location of injured or
physically disabled persons, cause of alarm, or location and magnitude
of fire) should assemble at the command post designated by Campus
Police, and advise the ranking officer of the information.
C. If Unable to Evacuate the Building:
1. If you get caught in smoke, get down on the floor and crawl on your hands
and knees. Cleaner, cooler air will be near the floor.
2. Before opening any door, feel the knob and the door itself. If it is hot, do
not open the door. If it is cool, brace yourself against the door, open it
slightly and if heat or heavy smoke is present, do not enter and
immediately close the door.
3. Seek an area of refuge. Do not use elevators. If possible, choose an area
with an exterior window, a telephone and a solid door.
4. If safe to do so, make sure doors in the area are closed and seal cracks
with towels or clothing (preferably wet) to impede the flow of smoke.
5. If a telephone is available, contact Campus Police at extension 800 and
advise them that you cannot leave the building. Give your exact location.
Red emergency phones in Neilson stacks ring directly to Campus Police
and advise them of your location. If safe to do so, remain on the phone
and give Campus Police updates on your situation.
6. If a telephone is not available, open windows and hang an object out the
window to attract attention. Stay near the floor, away from the window.
7. If above ground level, do not attempt to jump from a window.
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