Shelter in Place

The Campus Police (and Facilities, where applicable) is responsible for knowing the location of and ensuring the operational readiness of the items below.

Fire Plan Checklist

• Flashlights
• Batteries (all kinds)
• Evacu-Traks
• Evacuation Tags
• First aid kits
• Wheelchairs
• Posted room evacuation plans
• Hazardous materials disposal receptacles
• No Smoking Signs in appropriate places
• Current lists of evacuation wardens
• Tests of fire extinguishers (monthly tests by Facilities)
• Tests of campus emergency lights and fire alarm equipment (monthly tests by
  Facilities and Campus Police)
• Fire alarm and annunciator panels are operational
• Exterior call boxes are operational (Weekly tests by Campus Police)
• Interior call boxes are operational (Weekly tests by Campus Police)
• Legible instructional signs are with emergency equipment/call boxes
• Location office for first aid
• Locations of MSDS Sheets
• First Responder Boxes contain proper items
• Emergency Exit Doors

Warden Equipment:

• Campus Police must check items, issued to campus staff for emergency evacuations, monthly to ensure that Evacuation Wardens know the locations and that the supplies are in good working order. Campus Police immediately should replace old or dysfunctional bulbs, batteries, tags, etc.
• The Campus Police should house all information and other items related to emergency response needs in easily accessible locations. Each member of the Campus Police, the Provost’s Staff, and any other evening administrative staff, is responsible for knowing their whereabouts.

This includes equipment, such as the childbirth kits, first aid kits, and emergency numbers, as well as maps locating fire extinguishers, etc. The Campus Police should disseminate periodic reminders. The Campus Police must check First Aid kits each semester, or subsequent to actual usage, to ensure supplies are fresh and complete.

Posted Room Evacuation Plans:

Classrooms and offices must have an evacuation plan (showing the route to the nearest building exit) posted next to the light switch by the doorway of each room. The Facilities staff is responsible for verifying, once per month, that the plans are in place and are readable. Campus Police Officers should include inspection of these plans as part of their regular duty rounds, noting any problems in the daily log. If any one notices that an evacuation plan is damaged, unreadable, or missing, (s)he should report this fact immediately to the Facility Manager, who is responsible for seeing that the plan is repaired or replaced within 24 hours.

Current List of Evacuation Wardens and Emergency Numbers:

Campus Police must update the list of assigned Evacuation Wardens for each building and floor at least every three months and make changes as employees leave the College. The Police Lieutenant should verify local emergency responder phone numbers every six months for accuracy and update the list as necessary.

Hazardous Materials:

In conjunction with the College Environmental Coordinator, the Campus Environmental Coordinator is responsible for monitoring locations and types of materials to ensure that those, which are flammable or otherwise hazardous, are stored and handled properly. The Facilities Manager is responsible for ensuring that his staff and cleaning contractors use and store cleaning supplies safely. Anyone discovering unsafe conditions should report it to the officer on duty, Police Lieutenant, Facilities Manager, and Campus Environmental Coordinator, as appropriate. Those responsible must immediately correct unsafe conditions.

No Smoking Signs:

Facilities should replace "No Smoking" signs in potentially hazardous areas, as needed. Campus Police should check monthly to determine where new or replacement signs are needed and should notify Facilities.

Evacuation Drills:

Although not required, Campus Police should hold periodic emergency evacuation drills in order to ensure evacuations can be conducted properly. The Campus Police Lieutenant must document and keep records of drills, other training sessions, and actual emergencies. The Lieutenant, with the concurrence of the Provost, should schedule these drills fairly soon after a semester begins to avoid their occurring during major exams, but should not announce the drills to others in advance.

Fire drills are not required if other provisions of this plan are implemented.

Tests of Fire Extinguishers:

The Facilities Manager or his representative/s must conduct monthly tests of fire extinguishers or provide oversight of the contractor hired for this purpose. Fire extinguishers (dry chemical) are located in each hallway near exits to the stairwells and ground floor exits and in all electrical, mechanical, and laboratory rooms. The Audio Visual Center also has a CO2 fire extinguisher.

Tests of Fire Alarm Equipment:

When possible, the Facilities Supervisor will provide advance notice of unanticipated fire alarm tests that take place during working hours, so that the Police do not evacuate people unnecessarily. The Facilities Manager, or designee, should test the fire alarm system monthly with the Campus Police to ensure it is in good working order. The police should keep the name, address and telephone number of the system maintenance company with its other emergency numbers. The Facilities Manager is responsible for obtaining repair service within twenty four hours of the discovery of any faults in the system.

General Evaucation Information

Fire or Suspected Fire:

Anyone who sees a fire or suspects a fire may pull the fire alarm and dial 911, but also must notify the Campus Police immediately (703) 845-6270 (2d Floor, Bisdorf Bldg, Room 240), so that they may put the fire out or respond in an otherwise appropriate manner. Fire alarm pull stations are at each exit of the buildings in the halls close to stairwell doors and ground floor exit doors. Fire alarm pull stations in Bisdorf and Schlesinger are glass covered with pull levers, and those in the Engineering and Tyler buildings are glass breakage type with reset feature.

Bomb Threat or Other Act of Aggression:

Those responsible for implementing the Campus Contingency Plans across the College should meet and set training standards, as well as ensuring that uniform training opportunities are provided in search and evacuation methodologies.

Anyone who becomes aware of a bomb threat or other act of aggression must immediately notify the Campus Police (703) 845-6270 (2d Floor, Bisdorf Bldg, Room 240) for appropriate action. The employee should contact the police by land line telephone or in person, but not via a cell phone or other communications device which could set off a bomb. (Bomb Threat Checklist on page 29).

Signal to Evacuate:

Activation of the fire alarm system will be the signal to evacuate. The system can be activated by smoke or heat sensors or by any individual who is aware of an uncontrolled fire.

False Alarms:

It is a violation of the Virginia Code (law) for anyone to maliciously activate a fire alarm system. Only the Provost and Business Manager, or their designees, are authorized to approve the activation of the fire alarm system in situations, other than emergencies, such as fire drills and maintenance testing.

Re-entry to the Building:

Only fire rescue personnel may reset the alarms in an actual emergency. Upon authorization from the Fire Department, the Campus Police Lieutenant will make an "all clear" announcement, if the people may reoccupy the building. Fire rescue officers will give instructions to the Command Post staff, who then will allow re-entry or will tell people the alternate plan.

Off Campus Locations:

Faculty, staff, and students using off-campus facilities should become familiar with the evacuation and other emergency procedures for those facilities.