December 15, 2004

NorthWest Arkansas Community College

Emergency Building Evacuation Information and Procedures

 

PLEASE READ THIS CAREFULLY

 

            All college facilities are maintained and operated as safely as possible.  However, there may be times when it is necessary to evacuate college buildings due to an emergency or in case of an emergency drill.  When this happens, all building occupants need to be prepared to evacuate college buildings quickly and in an orderly manner.  The following information and procedures are prepared so all occupants will know what to do in case of an emergency.

 

General Information

 

            All college buildings except the Washington County Center are equipped with fire suppression sprinkler systems.  Burns Hall and the Shewmaker Building have emergency evacuation alarm systems built into the buildings.  At other college facilities, portable alarms would be used to signal building evacuation.

           

            Our Public Safety Officers, Physical Plant employees and building Emergency Evacuation Coordinators are all trained to assist building occupants to safely evacuate the building.

 

            Take the time to become familiar with your surrounding inside college buildings. Know where stairways and exits are located. In case of emergencies, building elevators will not be in use.

 

Building Evacuation Procedures

 

  1. When the emergency evacuation signal is sounded in any college building, immediately evacuate the building by going to the nearest exit. Remember that building elevators are not in use during an emergency evacuation. Do not take excessive time to gather personal belongs. In an emergency, time is of the essence. The evacuation signals for college buildings are:

 

Building                                              Evacuation Signal

 

Burns Hall                                           Siren and flashing white lights

 

Shewmaker Building                           Siren, flashing white lights and audible instructions to evacuate building

Washington County Center

&  East Campus                                   Emergency horn and audible instructions to evacuate the building          

 

  1. Emergency Evacuation Coordinators assigned to specific sections of college buildings will assist building occupants who need help evacuating college buildings or going to a place of safety inside the building. Class instructors and department supervisors can assist these coordinators by helping to identify building occupants who do need assistance.

 

  1. Once outside the building go to the nearest safe assembly area beyond the building parking lots and wait there for further instructions or until the “all clear signal” is given to return to the building.

 

  1. Do not go to your vehicle or attempt to leave the college campus until the “all clear” sign is given. We want to be able to account for all building occupants once everyone is outside the building. Emergency vehicles entering college parking lots would be hampered if automobiles were leaving the parking lots.  In the event of a fire, hoses will be spread across the parking lots and exits thereby blocking vehicular traffic.

 

Thank you for your cooperation in observing these procedures.  If you have any questions regarding this information or procedures, please contact us as soon as possible.

 

 

 

Richard Nelson

Director of Public Safety

619-4397

 

 

 

Steve Pelphrey

Dean of Risk Management

            619-4127