Body text First and foremost, if the fire alarm does go off, it is imperative that everyone evacuate in an orderly manner. Even if one strongly believes the alarm might be false, the fire department assumes that every event is real and possibly fatal. They are willing to put their lives on the line for us and get very upset if building occupants do not cooperate and do not take the situation seriously. Teaching faculty become de facto fire marshals in the case of a building emergency. Below is some practical information you need to know if a building emergency strikes while you are teaching a class.
1. Make certain you know the location of the nearest fire alarm pull switch. If you see smoke, do not hesitate to pull the alarm.
2. When the fire alarm sounds, quickly instruct students that this could be a dangerous situation and insist that they all calmly exit the building using the stairwells. Make certain that you are familiar with the emergency egress paths. In the beginning of the term it is good practice to tell your students where the emergency exits are and to go over with them these emergency evacuation procedures.
3. If you have any disabled student in your class who might not be able to evacuate quickly, plans must be made in advance. Transporting of disabled individuals up or down stairwells should be avoided until the fire department has arrived. Unless imminent life-threatening conditions exist in the immediate area occupied by a non-ambulatory or disabled person, relocation of the individual should be limited to a safe area on the same floor, in close proximity to an evacuation stairwell. You need to notify the firemen immediately of the person's location. Before you evacuate the lecture hall or laboratory, if it does not put you in jeopardy, quickly walk through the local area to check to see that everyone has left the building.
4. Students need to be directed to meet outside the building to a designated meeting site of your choosing. This site, typically across the street from the building, should be at least 100 feet away from the emergency. When the students are reassembled you need to assertively ask whether anyone knows of a classmate who might still be in the building. If there is any suspicion, the fire department must be notified immediately.
5. Elevators are not to be used during a building evacuation.
2. If the accident is in your laboratory, try to rescue any personnel in immediate danger if it does not put you in imminent danger.
3. Pull the fire alarm and close all doors, windows, and other openings that would aid in the spread of fire or toxic fumes.
4. Instruct all students to evacuate the building and follow the directions as delineated above.
We all hope that such emergencies will never happen, however, we must be prepared for such scenarios.
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