FIRE

If you discover a fire inside a building:

• Activate the fire alarm system.
• Immediately exit the building, closing doors behind you. DO NOT USE ELEVATORS.
• Contact Campus Police at 6-6677 or call 9-911 on college phones.

If you discover a fire outside a building:

• Contact College Police at 6-6677 or call 9-911 on college phones.
• Do NOT activate the building fire alarm system

If the fire alarm starts sounding:

• Feel the door or doorknob to the hallway with the back of your hand. If it feels hot, do not open it – the fire may be on the other side of the door.
• If the door is not hot, open it slowly. If the hallway is clear of smoke, close doors behind you and walk to the nearest exit and exit the building. DO NOT USE ELEVATORS.
• Notify arriving fire or police personnel if you suspect someone is trapped inside the building, and where they may be located.
• Gather outside at a designated assembly area, and do not attempt to re-enter the building until instructed to do so by College Police or the Fire Department.

If you are trapped in a room, or otherwise unable to leave:

• Wet and place cloth material around and under the door to prevent smoke from entering the room.
• Close as many doors as possible between you and the fire.
• Be prepared to signal someone outside, but DO NOT BREAK GLASS until absolutely necessary (outside smoke may be drawn into the room).

If you are caught in smoke:

• Drop to hands and knees and crawl toward exit.
• Stay low, as smoke will rise to ceiling level.
• Breathe in short breathes through nose and use a filter such as a shirt or towel.

Using a fire extinguisher:

Building occupants are not required to fight fires. Individuals who have been trained in the proper use of a fire extinguisher and are confident in their ability to cope with the hazards of a fire may use a portable fire extinguisher to fight small fires (no larger than a waste paper basket).

Fire fighting efforts must be terminated within 15 seconds, or when it becomes obvious that there is risk of harm from smoke, heat or flames, which ever comes FIRST.

The P.A.S.S. method:

Pull the safety pin from handle.
Aim the extinguisher at the base of fire.
Squeeze the trigger handle.
Sweep from side to side to side at base.

College Police has the primary responsibility for managing fire emergencies with the Fairfax County Fire Department. Unauthorized re-entry into a building during a fire emergency is not permitted. Violators of this policy are subject to College and state fire code sanctions.