September is Campus Fire Safety Month. When the alarm sounds, be ready: Five things every Shocker should know.
Campus Fire Safety Month is a reminder that the time to plan your escape is before an emergency happens.
A fire can change a normal day in a matter of seconds. When a fire alarm sounds, there may not be time to stop and figure out where the nearest exit is, decide which way to go or gather your belongings.
That is why one of the most important things you can do during Campus Fire Safety Month is simple: know what you will do before the alarm sounds.
The Center for Campus Fire Safety (CCFS) and the National Fire Protection Association encourage students, faculty and staff to know two ways out of the buildings where they spend time. CCFS also reminds people that when a fire alarm goes off, the priority is to get out and stay out.
For Wichita State students, faculty and staff, here are five things to remember.
1. Treat every fire alarm as an emergency
When an alarm sounds, don't assume it is a false alarm, a test or someone accidentally pulling a pull station. Evacuate immediately unless WSU Fire Safety or emergency personnel have specifically told you otherwise.
WSU's emergency procedures instruct campus community members to take appropriate actions to protect their personal safety and evacuate when there is a fire.
During September, WSU Fire Safety may also conduct required fire alarm inspections and testing. Even during testing, if an alarm sounds and Fire Safety has not provided other instructions, occupants should follow their evacuation procedures.
2. Know two ways out
Don't wait until an emergency to discover that your usual route is blocked by smoke, fire or another hazard. The CCFS student fire-safety materials recommend knowing two ways out from your room and practicing a fire escape plan.
Take a moment to identify the nearest two exits whenever you enter a building where you regularly spend time.
Think about:
- Where is the nearest exit?
- Where is the second exit?
- Where are the stairwells?
- Could I find them if the lights were out or the hallway were filled with smoke?
- Is my normal route still usable if there is a fire nearby?
Knowing the answers ahead of time can eliminate valuable hesitation during an emergency.
3. Use the stairs, never the elevator
When evacuating because of a fire, use the stairs. Do not use elevators.
If you encounter smoke or fire blocking your normal route, use your second exit if one is available.
WSU's emergency procedures also provide guidance for people who cannot leave the building. If you are unable to evacuate, move to a room with a door as far from the fire as possible, close the door and notify emergency personnel of your exact location. Before opening a door, check it with the back of your hand; do not open a door that feels warm.
If smoke is present, stay as low to the floor as possible.
4. Leave your belongings behind
Your backpack, laptop, phone, textbook or other belongings are replaceable. Your life is not.
CCFS's student fire-safety checklist emphasizes leaving quickly when the fire or smoke alarm sounds and warns that spending time retrieving belongings increases the chance of becoming trapped. If the alarm sounds, leave.
As you evacuate, help make others aware of the emergency when it is safe to do so, but don't delay your own escape.
When possible, close doors behind you as you evacuate. Closing doors can help limit the spread of fire and smoke.
5. Get at least 100 feet away and keep emergency access routes clear
Getting out of the building is only part of the evacuation. Once outside, move at least 100 feet away from the building and follow the directions of your Emergency Building Coordinators (EBCs). Do not remain near entrances, exits or fire department access points.
Moving at least 100 feet away from the building helps protect you from fire, smoke, falling glass and other hazards while also providing firefighters and other emergency responders with the space they need to operate.
Keep emergency vehicle access routes clear. Fire trucks, ambulances and other emergency vehicles need unobstructed access to the building. Do not gather in drive lanes, fire lanes or other areas that emergency responders may need to use.
When you evacuate, pay attention to where you are going. Do not block the path of arriving emergency vehicles or congregate in areas needed for emergency operations.
Once you have reached a safe location, stay there until the all-clear has been given.
Never go back inside to retrieve something or check on someone. If you know someone may still be inside, tell emergency personnel where that person was last seen. Don't put yourself in danger by going back inside.
Don't make evacuation harder for someone else
Fire safety isn't just about your own ability to escape. A hallway, stairwell or exit that is partially blocked can make evacuation more difficult for everyone — particularly people with disabilities or mobility limitations.
Keep exits, hallways and stairs clear. CCFS includes keeping exits, hallways and stairs clear among its student fire-safety recommendations.
If you see an obstruction in an exit route, report it rather than assuming someone else will take care of it.
Your five-minute fire-safety challenge
Take five minutes today and do this:
- Look around the building where you are right now.
- Find your nearest exit.
- Find a second way out.
- Locate the nearest stairwell.
- Look at your evacuation route. Is anything blocking it?
Then ask yourself one final question: If the fire alarm sounded right now, would I know exactly what to do?
If the answer is yes, you've already taken an important step toward being prepared.
If the answer is no, take five minutes today to make a plan.
Learn more about campus fire safety
The Center for Campus Fire Safety is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to reducing the loss of life from fire on college and university campuses. CCFS provides educational programs and resources for students, educators and the greater campus community.
For more student fire safety information and tips, visit Campus Fire and Life Safety for Students.