Fire Drill Policy
College of Coastal Georgia - University System of Georgia
CITATION REFERENCE
Official Title: Fire Drill Policy
Abbreviated Title: Fire Drill Policy
Volume: CCGA Policies
Responsible Office: Public Safety Department
Originally Issued: July 13, 2010
Effective Date: July 13, 2010
Revised: December 5, 2012

Fire Drill Policy

Policy Statement

The College of Coastal Georgia shall conduct fire drills in all buildings located on both the Brunswick and Camden campuses.

Reason for Policy

The purpose of this policy is to establish an overall plan for the protection of members of the College community from the hazards of fire and similar emergencies through the implementation of a comprehensive fire drill safety policy.

Entities Affected by This Policy

All faculty, staff and students at the College are covered by this policy.

Who Should Read This Policy

All faculty, staff and students at the College should be familiar with this policy.

Contacts

Website Address for This Policy

https://www.ccga.edu/AdminPolicies

Definitions

None

Overview

The purpose of fire drills is to prepare building occupants for an organized evacuation in case of a fire or other emergency. Fire drills are used as an avenue to systematically identify various fire safety issues, such as:

I. Frequency of Drills

Periodic fire drills shall be conducted at various times throughout the year as a responsibility of the individual building managers and in accordance with the following requirements:

  1. Academic Buildings. Fire drills shall be conducted in the academic buildings a minimum of three (3) times per year.
    • One fire drill per academic session is required (e.g., fall, spring and summer).
    • Fire drills in academic buildings shall be conducted so as to minimize disruption to the College’s educational mission.
  2. Residence Halls. Fire drills shall be conducted in any residence hall a minimum of four (4) times per year.
    • One drill must occur within the first month of the fall and spring sessions.
    • One drill must occur within the first week of the summer session.
    • At least one of these four (4) drills must be conducted during the hours after sunset and before sunrise.
  3. Office Buildings. Fire drills shall be conducted in any office building that has an occupancy of 100 persons or more a minimum of two (2) times per year.

II. Procedures

When conducting any fire drill at the College, the following procedures shall be followed:

  1. Drill Coordinator. The Drill Coordinator (Director, Public Safety Department) shall schedule a date and time for the drill.
  2. Prior Notice. Drills will be held at both expected and unexpected times in order to simulate the unusual conditions that can occur in an actual emergency. Accordingly, the Drill Coordinator shall determine whether prior notice will be given regarding the conducting of any fire drill.
    • Announced Drills. Announced drills will allow the building occupants an opportunity to prepare for the evacuation and can be used as a structured learning exercise. Announced drills will be used to introduce occupants to the concept of fire drills and ensure they are made aware of expectations with regards to these exercises. When it is determined that prior notice will be given, the following guidelines shall apply:
      • Notice will be given no less than three (3) days prior to the drill.
      • Notice will be posted throughout the building in visible areas, such as entrances, lobbies and elevators.
    • Unannounced Drills. While more disruptive than announced drills, unannounced drills are typically a better indicator of what will occur in an actual emergency. Accordingly, unannounced drills will be used to test the response capabilities of the College community.
  3. Notification. The Drill Coordinator shall notify Plant Operations of the exact time the alarm will be pulled for the drill.
  4. Activation of Alarm. At the pre-arranged time, the Drill Coordinator shall activate the fire alarm for the designated building. The system will remain activated until complete evacuation of the building has been confirmed.
  5. Evacuation of the Building. The orderly evacuation of a building during an emergency depends on early warning and employee awareness of proper evacuation procedures.
    • All building occupants shall immediately evacuate the building when the fire alarm sounds. Occupants should not assume the alarm is a false one.
    • All building occupants shall continue to evacuate the building, even if the alarm stops.
    • Building occupants shall use the nearest exist when evacuating the building.
    • Building occupants shall ensure that all interior doors are closed, but left unlocked.
    • Building occupants should always use the stairs during an evacuation, whether real or simulated. Stairway fire doors will keep out fire and smoke if they are closed and will protect an occupant until he or she gets outside. Elevators shall not be used during the evacuation. If the power in the building fails, an occupant will be trapped inside the elevator.
    • An outside location shall be designated for occupants to assemble following the evacuation.
    • All building occupants will remain outside of the building until such time as they are authorized by the Drill Coordinator to go back into the facility.
    • Where the complexity of the emergency egress from a building or structure may warrant it, the Drill Coordinator shall determine whether an emergency evacuation procedure map is required. Such maps and evacuation routes shall be established and maintained by the Public Safety Department, in coordination with Plant Operations, and shall be reviewed annually for relevance.
  6. Responsibilities. In addition to those identified in the preceding paragraphs, the following individuals have additional responsibilities to perform upon hearing a fire alarm, whether real or simulated:
    • Supervisors. All supervisors shall establish a safe location at least one hundred (100) feet from the building being evacuated and in an area where evacuees will not be endangered by emergency vehicles.
      • Once there, supervisors shall conduct an attendance check to ensure no employees are missing.
      • If an employee is unaccounted for, the supervisor shall immediately notify fire or security officials.
      • Supervisors shall also identify specific individuals who may need aid in an evacuation and shall assign other specific employees to aid those individuals in the event of an evacuation.
    • Faculty. Faculty members are responsible for ensuring that all students in their class have evacuated and been accounted for during a building evacuation that involves students in class.
      • As with supervisors, faculty members shall establish a safe location at least one hundred (100) feet from the building being evacuated and in an area where evacuees will not be endangered by emergency vehicles.
      • Once there, faculty members shall conduct an attendance check to ensure no students are missing.
      • If a student is unaccounted for, the faculty member shall immediately notify fire or security officials.
      • Students with disabilities limiting their mobility shall notify the faculty member of each class they will be attending and discuss how they may be assisted during an emergency evacuation. Faculty members shall ensure assistance is provided to the student.
  7. Completion of the Drill. When the Drill Coordinator is certain that all occupants have evacuated the building where the drill is being conducted, the fire alarm will be silenced, re-set and the occupants may be permitted to re-enter the building.
  8. Report. Fire drills shall be monitored for effectiveness and recorded and filed with the Public Safety Department.

III. Recordkeeping

A complete record of all fire drills conducted shall be maintained on the premises by the Public Safety Department for a period of not less than three (3) years and be readily available for inspection by the fire department.

IV. Portable Fire Extinguishers

Portable fire extinguishers are primarily of value for immediate use on small fires. They have a limited quantity of extinguishing material and therefore must be used properly so this material is not wasted.

  1. Placement and Ordering. The placement and ordering of portable fire extinguishers is the responsibility of Plant Operations.
  2. Inspection and Maintenance. Extinguishers are mechanical devices. They need care and maintenance at periodic intervals to insure their readiness to operate properly and safely. Parts or interior chemicals deteriorate in time and need replacement. In most cases, they are high pressure vessels and must be treated with respect and handled with care.
    • Plant Operations will carry out an inspection program to determine whether a fire extinguisher is available, charged, and otherwise operative.
    • Fire extinguishers are checked monthly to determine that they are in their designated place, they have not been tampered with, and there is no obvious physical damage or condition that could prevent their operation.
    • A permanent written record will be kept for a minimum of three (3) years of all fire extinguisher checks.
    • Maintenance requires a thorough check of the extinguisher. It includes hydrostatic testing, a thorough examination and necessary repair, recharging, or replacement. Maintenance is conducted at intervals of one year or less or when the need is indicated by an inspection or after discharge.
    • Discharged, missing, or apparently faulty extinguishers should be reported to Plant Operations.
  3. Training. Training of personnel in fire equipment use is the responsibility of the Public Safety Department. Training employees in the use of emergency fire equipment requires stressing proper selection of equipment and familiarity with all types of fire extinguishers utilized in College buildings. Additionally, employees must be taught to judge the seriousness of fires and the correct method of extinguishing them. Fire extinguisher training may be taken at http://www.fireextinguisher.com. Additionally, the Public Safety Department will occasionally offer hands-on training in the use of fire extinguishers.

Responsibilities

The Responsibilities each party has in connection with this policy are:

Forms

Fire Drill Checklist

Appendices

None