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Engineering
> Fire & Life-Safety > Message
The Fire & Life-Safety Group (FLS)
Message from the Campus Fire Marshal
EXIT BUILDINGS WHEN A FIRE ALARM SOUNDS
As the CU-Boulder campus fire marshal, I am writing to urge faculty and
staff to follow a few life-saving steps with regard to fire evacuation.
Recent incidents in New York City, Chicago and Rhode Island have underscored
the importance of this information.
Be safe. When in doubt, get out!
You can save a life! How? Exit the building when the fire alarm sounds!
When a fire alarm sounds, all building occupants must evacuate the building.
The importance of this life-saving action cannot be overemphasized. Many
fire fatalities have been caused because occupants assumed the alarm was
false or were busy completing a task in the building.
Your safety is the most important concern; please evacuate the building
any time the fire alarm sounds. Although you may have experienced false
alarms in your building or elsewhere, it is imperative that you evacuate
the building upon hearing any fire alarm. If you wait to smell the smoke
before leaving, you are risking your health and your life may be in danger.
An emergency alarm may sound upon the release of colorless and odorless
chemicals. Therefore, there may be life-threatening fire or non-fire conditions
that are not immediately noticeable. Your immediate and calm evacuation
is necessary during any fire alarm.
Emergency evacuation plans are posted throughout all major campus buildings.
Please read and practice the directions and instructions given on the
emergency evacuation plans in your building. Using those plans, learn
the location of all emergency exits and use or practice locating them
occasionally, preferably at least twice a year. It is important to know
and practice when to go, where to go and how to go to escape a fire. In
addition, buildings and departments should have a plan for designated
locations for employees to meet outside the building and should be prepared
to assist first-responders in identifying persons unaccounted for in actual
emergency situations.
We have posted this information because in the past some occupants have
not evacuated the buildings upon the sounding of a fire alarm. Their action
not only risks their own lives, but also risks the lives of emergency
responders and rescuers. In addition, not evacuating in a timely manner
will deplete the resources of the emergency responders, who must now rescue
the occupants instead of neutralizing the cause of the emergency.
Faculty and staff should direct their students and employees to follow
the evacuation procedures during any fire alarm in the building.
Let me emphasize that theCU-Boulder campus is committed to a high level
of fire- and life-safety, as shown by our investments in fire sprinkler
and alarm systems. Many of the campus buildings, including all student
residence halls, are provided with automatic fire suppression/sprinkler
systems. All major campus buildings are provided with automatic fire and
smoke detection systems connected to the Facilities Management Service
Center and the Campus Police Department via a fire-alarm reporting network.
However, every individual needs to take part to maintain and improve the
level of personal and building fire safety. In particular, note that good
housekeeping is one of the most important elements of fire prevention.
Do not allow anyone to store anything in stairwells or corridors and never
allow any fire doors to be blocked open. It is your life; you are in charge
of fire safety!
If you have any questions about the building alarms and evacuation routes,
or about how to report a problem, please contact me at 303/492-4042.
Mansour Alipour-fard, campus fire marshal, CU-Boulder
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