Emergency
Evacuation Procedures
When resident students hear their building's fire alarm, they are expected
to:
- immediately exit the building, closing their room
door;
- always
assume an emergency, never a false alarm;
- use stairs, not elevators;
- if the door or handle is warm to the touch or smoke is in the
hallway, stay in the room with the door closed, call 911, and attract
attention
at a window; and
- crawl on floor or stairs, where air is fresher,
if smoke is encountered.
When resident students see smoke or fire,
they are
instructed to:
- pull
the nearest building alarm,
- close
their room door and safely exit the building,
- call
911,
- never
attempt to
fight or put out a fire, and
- tell
fire authorities or Police the location of fire or smoke.
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Response to Fire Emergency
Emergency response is by the Prince George’s County Fire Department (PGFD).
The closest fire station is Station 12 (College Park Volunteer Fire Department),
along Rt. One near the North Gate entrance to the campus. 911 calls and campus
emergency phone calls are received by the UM Police dispatcher and immediately
given to the PGFD dispatcher. UM also sends its Police to the scene. Emergency
medical services are provided by PGFD. In addition to a paramedic unit at the
College Park station, there are four other PGFD stations with fire and emergency
medical services units within two miles of the campus.
Fire Alarms
Alarm pull stations and fire bells or horns are located in hallways and other
common areas throughout the residence halls. A building’s fire alarm
system will sound when an alarm station is pulled. The fire alarm systems are monitored by the Department of Public Safety. Individuals must call 911 to report fires and fire alarm activations. Alarm systems are tested
twice annually by UM Facilities Management Life Safety Systems staff. Designated
accessible spaces in residence halls are equipped with assistive devices (e.g.,
bed-shakers, special smoke detectors and fire alarm warning devices with strobes)
for students with disabilities. When an alarm system and/or sprinkler system
is temporarily not operational for any reason, a firewatch (walking patrol
of the building by staff with airhorns to warn residents of a need to evacuate)
is maintained until the system is restored; firewatches are deployed in lieu
of mandatory evacuations of residents. Restoration of fire alarm systems to
full service is a priority.
Smoke Alarms
Smoke alarms are in every student bedroom and also in living
rooms of on-campus suites and apartments. Smoke alarms are intended to alert
residents to a fire or smoke in their room or suite or apartment. They are
not connected to the building fire alarm system, so in a fire emergency the
nearest alarm must be pulled and 911 called. Smoke alarms are tested one
or more times annually by UM Residential Facilities staff. Same day response
on a 7-day 24-hour basis to replace malfunctioning units is provided through
x4-WORK.
Sprinkler Systems
Sprinkler systems exist in all 46 residence hall buildings, including all student
rooms. Individual sprinkler units are heat-activated. These systems are tested
twice annually by UM Facilities Management Life Safety Systems staff.
Evacuation Plan
A personalized emergency evacuation sign with floor plans and emergency information
and instructions is posted in every student room and in the common area of
suite and apartment interiors. Resident students are expected to learn the
location of exit stairwells and doors and to plan more than one exit route.
When the fire alarm sounds, all occupants are expected to evacuate. On-duty
residence hall staff direct evacuated occupants to pre-determined outdoor assembly
areas (or to other buildings in inclement weather). Resident students with
disabilities are reported to firefighters, who assist in their evacuations.
Fire Evacuation Drills
Unannounced drills are conducted by UM Environmental Safety/Fire Marshals once per semester.
Drills are conducted to let resident students practice safe evacuation procedures
and to evaluate staff performance. Buildings that do not pass a drill (e.g.,
evacuation too slow, students remain in building, 911 is not notified, etc.)
are reported to Resident Life for follow-up educational and/or disciplinary
action and are subject to retesting.
Fire Safety Awareness Programs and Staff Training
Fire safety information is published in residence hall Community Living and Services
Guide online handbooks and in the Fire On Campus brochure published by UM Environmental
Safety. In floor meetings, Resident Assistants are expected to review fire
evacuation procedures. Special programs for residents (e.g., videos, demonstrations,
etc.) may be arranged, as needed/requested, by Environmental Safety/Fire Marshals, Resident
Life and Residential Facilities staff. Mandatory training of residence hall
staff at all levels occurs annually and includes a 20-page policy and resource
manual, training to present the FEMA Get Out and Stay Alive video program (developed
in part by UM Environmental Safety), and special circumstances of resident
students with disabilities.
Other Preventative Measures
Compliance with applicable code is monitored by UM Environmental Safety/Fire Marshal's Office, which
conducts fire exit drills and fire safety education, performs fire inspections
of residence halls, investigates fires, and provides consultation for Resident
Life and Residential Facilities staff. Supplemental public area inspections
of residence hall interiors are conducted by UM Residential Facilities student
staff, who visually check fire doors, alarm stations, exit paths, railings,
etc. Residential Facilities purchases fire-rated mattresses for student bedrooms.
Construction and renovation specifications and space use changes are reviewed
by UM Environmental Safety/Fire Marshal's Office.
Expert Professional Oversight
Oversight is provided by the University Fire Marshal, who is legally delegated authority
for the campus at College Park by the State Fire Marshal and is employed by
UM Environmental Safety. Also available are the resources of the Maryland Fire
and Rescue Institute and training academy.
Fire Safety Rules
Residence hall rules prohibit smoking in all interiors areas of all residence
halls, including student bedrooms and all spaces within apartments and suites.
(Prior to 2001, rules had permitted smoking only in student bedrooms and then
only with the roommate’s consent). Rules also prohibit the following
within student bedrooms: cooking; use or possession of certain appliances such
as toaster ovens, appliances with an open or exposed heating element or coil,
microwaves (except in renovated halls), space heaters, halogen bulbs, and open-flame
devices; tampering with smoke detectors; construction of lofts and partitions;
and unsafe practices such as use of lighted candles and possession/use of fuel
or fireworks. Violation of these rules or other non-compliance with safety
procedures and expectations is a B-level violation of residence halls rules,
leading to a likely sanction of reprimand, warning, housing probation and/or
community service. Tampering with safety equipment, giving a false report of
fire, and setting or causing a fire are A-level violations of rules, likely
leading to dismissal from the residence halls.
False Fire Alarms
Malicious false fire alarms are misdemeanors, punishable in the State of
Maryland by fine of up to $5,000 and/or imprisonment for up to five years.
Students
found responsible for false alarms are dismissed from residence halls (A-level
violation of residence hall rules) and can be expelled from the University
with a permanent notation on their transcripts. Police investigate these incidents,
increase surveillance activities and accept confidential reports from persons
who may have knowledge of the identities of persons responsible. When installed
in response to incidents, “stoppers” (plastic covers on alarm stations)
have been effective in halting malicious false alarms.
Fire Extinguishers
Fire extinguishers were removed from hallways in the residence halls in the
early 1980s at the University’s request and with the State Fire Marshal’s
concurrence that: (a) they were not required by applicable code, and (b) fighting
fires is dangerous, delays evacuation, and could delay emergency response.
There also was concern that vandalism or tampering with fire extinguishers
could result in danger and delay to a person who tried to use an extinguisher
that had been compromised by horseplay or malicious intent.
Security Grilles
These iron grilles cover most windows in traditional residence halls that are
on the ground floors or otherwise could be accessible from the outside by an
intruder. These grilles are secured to prevent intrusion. While design of the
grilles varies, in an emergency that prevents exiting from the room’s
door(s), the grilles may be opened by the room’s occupants to use as
a second means of escape. Grilles are inspected annually by UM Residential
Facilities. Windows in suite and apartment buildings are not equipped with
these grilles, except in selected locations facing the City of College Park
commercial district.
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