Fire drills are held three times per year to familiarize faculty, staff and students with the alarm and evacuation process, and to test our ability to quickly clear a building during an actual emergency.
Recent fire drills showed some confusion about the need to exit the building during an alarm and hesitation in exiting quickly. The Environmental Health and Safety Department would like to take this opportunity to remind all employees about the importance of exiting the building during any fire alarm.
Anytime you hear the fire alarm sound, please follow these guidelines:
* Immediately gather your personal belongings and go to the nearest exit (which may not be the one you normally use)
* Faculty should ensure all students leave the classroom and exit the building immediately
* Do not use elevators
* Persons who are unable to use the stairs may exit by going through a connecting building or by asking for assistance
* Once outside, please continue to move away from the entrance so that people behind you have room to get out
* Please do not re-enter the building until the alarm has been silenced and you are told that it is safe to re-enter
* If you have any information about a fire or emergency, please come forward and report it to a Public Safety officer or other emergency responder
For more information about fire safety and what to do in the event of a fire alarm, please refer to the Fire Safety page of the Environmental Health and Safety website: https://www.hvcc.edu/ehs/fire/index.html.
Thank you,
Laurie Vivekanand, CIH
Director, Environmental Health and Safety
Published: Mon, 10 Feb 2014 11:00:06 +0000 by l.vivekanand