35.21 - Fire Emergencies and Response

A. General. Fire emergencies require prompt, safe and knowledgeable responses by fire department, university personnel and students in order to ensure that hazards are identified, warning is given, persons can exit safely, and help can be obtained quickly. All university personnel are expected to: [ed. 6-11]

A-1. Know the location of exits from work, classroom, study, laboratory or residence areas, and memorize landmarks that might aid in evacuation if visibility is impaired by smoke. [rev. 6-11]

A-2. Look for the most immediate exit from the building, and know at least one alternate path.

A-3. Know the location of fire extinguishers (see APM 35.24) and the proper method and appropriateness for their use. [rev. 6-11]

A-4. Know the location of all fire alarm stations for activating the building alarm.

A-5. Know the emergency telephone numbers (911), and clearly post emergency numbers at every phone. [ed. 6-11]

A-6. Be alert for situations that could be sources of ignition or that might pose a threat of fire. Ensure a routine daily inspection of work areas, note any potential problems and resolve them or bring them to the attention of the Environmental Health and Safety Office at (208) 885-6524.

B. Process. Fire safety involves prevention, warning, escape, and extinguishing. Employees and students are responsible for knowing and following basic fire safety procedures, set forth in Section C, below. The health and safety of occupants is always paramount. [rev. 6-11]

C. Procedures. Immediate response by the fire department is critical in providing evacuation assistance and in successfully extinguishing a fire. Ensure that all building occupants understand the need to alert the fire department immediately when a fire is discovered.

C-1. Call for Help. Immediately call 911.  Identify yourself and the location of the fire (by building, floor, and room number, if possible). [rev. 6-11]

C-2. Warn others. Activate the fire alarm or have someone do so immediately.  Alert other occupants, if necessary. [rev. 6-11]

C-3. Attempt to extinguish ONLY if you can do so safely:

i) Attempt to extinguish the fire only if the fire is small, can be extinguished quickly, and you have the proper fire extinguisher (see APM 35.24). If the fire cannot be extinguished easily, leave the area immediately. [ed. 6-11]

ii) Never attempt to fight a fire unless it can be accomplished with the exit to your back. Leave immediately before it grows and blocks your exit(s).

iii) Never attempt to extinguish a fire with a fire hose. If it is too large for you to safely control using a fire extinguisher, evacuate, call the fire department, and leave extinguishing of the fire to trained fire fighters. [rev. 6-11]

C-4. Evacuate Immediately Upon Alarm. Whenever a fire alarm sounds, evacuate the building immediately, whether or not you can see fire or smoke. Fires in areas remote from you in the building can quickly spread and become threatening to everyone in the building. [ed. 6-11]

C-5. Close Off Fire Area. Close off the area of fire origin as much as possible. Close doors to the area of fire origin as you leave the area. It is important to slow the spread of smoke during this critical time to allow a greater degree of safety during evacuation.

D. Information. Please review your Site-Specific Annex form. A template can be found on the Emergency Management website here: Emergency Management. For additional information, please contact the Environmental Health and Safety Office at (208) 885-6524. [rev. 6-11]

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