Personal Safety and Emergency Evacuation
While the University strives to create a safe campus environment and has enacted policies and
procedures to that end, including holding fire drills each semester, all students should assume
responsibility for their personal safety by becoming familiar with their surroundings and by
educating themselves on safety measures to use in the event of fire, earthquake or hazardous
chemical spill. Students with disabilities should take note of all accessible exits in each building
or
residence hall they frequent, check the evacuation plans for each building, and plan a strategy for
each building in the event of an emergency. Residence Hall staff hold meetings in each housing
facility to orient students to the specific procedures for their facility. It is the responsibility of
students to attend these meetings to learn the procedures and to follow them.
Emergency evacuation plans are posted in each building. In addition, SDS compiles a safety
evacuation list each semester for each classroom building which includes the names of students
who would need special assistance in an emergency and the time and location of their classes in
each building. The list also includes the names and locations of students who live in residence
halls who may need assistance in an emergency. Police Services, Safety Services and SDS keep
a
copy of the safety evacuation list for handy reference in the event of an emergency. After the last
day to add classes, the safety evacuation list is compliled from students' schedules. If students
drop a class or if a room number changes, they should notify SDS so the correction can be made
to the list. This list works only if it is current and complete.
Upon advance request, a student who is elevator dependent may have a class relocated from an
upper floor to a ground level for safety reasons, when it is possible to do so. Some classes
cannot be relocated due to specialized materials and fixed equipment required for certain courses,
such as labs, and sometimes appropriate space is not available without displacing other students
with disabilities. Relocation requests should be made to the appropriate SDS coordinator.
General Considerations for Evacuation
- Do Not Use the Elevator during a fire or other emergency!
- If your disability is of a nature that permits you to evacuate with minor assistance from another person, ask for help and evacuate at the nearest illuminated exit. If you will be evacuating at a slower pace than the standard flow of traffic, it is generally best to wait until the bulk of the traffic has exited, unless you are in immediate danger.
- If you use a wheelchair and need to evacuate from a floor other than ground level, proceed to the nearest illuminated exit sign. In most cases, this will be an enclosed stairwell that can provide protection until rescue personnel arrive. When most of the traffic has cleared, enter the stairwell landing and wait for the Fire Department or Police Services personnel. Doors to the stairwell should be kept closed. The average response time for the Fire Department to arrive on campus is generally three to seven minutes, depending on the specific campus location. All stairwells are routinely checked by Fire Department personnel in emergency situations.
- Unless you are in immediate danger, do not allow untrained, excited people to carry you down the steps. Doing so can present hazards of a different nature. In the event of immediate danger, if there is not time to wait for trained rescue personnel, be prepared in advance to explain to your helpers the best way for them to carry you to safety, depending on your personal circumstances. Remember that wheelchairs have many moveable parts and vulnerable points that are not constructed to withstand the stress of lifting.
