09:15:00 Emergency Evacuation

PURPOSE

To establish emergency evacuation protocol.

POLICY

It is the policy of Walters State Community College and Tennessee State law that all personnel will exit the building when alerted to evacuate the building.  Building deans and department heads and members of the CERT team are responsible for ensuring that all areas of the building are appropriately checked and evacuated. Those refusing to leave the building during a drill or actual critical event are subject to arrest. All incidents of refusal to follow an evacuation drill or actual event will be reported to the president of the college for follow up action or may be arrested by campus or local authorities in the interest of safety.

PROCEDURE TO FOLLOW DURING ACTIVATION OF FIRE ALARM

Evacuation is the removal of all persons from a building to a designated rally point outside the building in the wake of impending or immediate danger, including but not limited to, fire, explosion, and structural damage. Emergency evacuation route plans will be posted in appropriate locations in the corridors of all buildings. Each route plan will indicate the direction of travel to the nearest exit from the rooms shown on evacuation route plan in the event it becomes necessary to evacuate to the outside of the building because of fire or other emergency. The building coordinator will be responsible for ensuring that posted emergency evacuation plans are present in appropriate locations.             

Faculty or other College staff should lead all persons evacuated outside buildings to the designated evacuation rally point, as noted on the emergency evacuation route plans posted in each building. If the designated evacuation rally point should be in a hazardous zone, the primary or secondary building coordinator should designate a new evacuation rally point.

Anytime the fire alarm sounds, there will not be telephone calls from floor coordinators nor department contacts. Do not call Campus Police or Facilities Management. Leave the building IMMEDIATELY.

When the fire alarm sounds, follow procedures as outlined in the Emergency Preparedness Plan for evacuation and:

1. Assist staff/students/guests in your area with evacuation
2. Check your area to make sure everyone is out
3. Close doors (Do Not Lock) as you exit to indicate the area has been checked and cleared
4. Proceed, via nearest exit, to the evacuation rally point located outside the building
5. Do not return to the building unless instructed to do so

Never return to an evacuated building unless told to do so by a College Emergency Response Management member, College Emergency Response Team member, campus or local police or other emergency response personnel. 

10/19