Fire Alarms and Fire Safety

You may have noticed the ongoing fire drills around campus. While drills can be disruptive, inconvenient and even downright annoying, they are necessary to keep us all safe. When you hear a fire alarm, take it seriously and act immediately. Just because you do not see the emergency does not mean it is not legitimate.

Here are some things to remember the next time you hear a fire alarm:

1. Drills assess how effective our evacuation plans are. A successful drill is one where everyone “makes it out alive.” When a drill fails, it means that someone likely would not have survived a real fire scenario.
2. When a drill is failed, it must be repeated. The following behaviors will lead to repeat drills:
   • Evacuating slowly (stopping to get ready for class before leaving, etc.)
   • Remaining close to the building (there are designated gathering points for each building, see #3 below)
   • Re-entering the building before receiving the all-clear from campus safety
   • Ignoring the drill completely
3. It is important to put space between yourself and the building you are evacuating. Please take a moment to locate your nearest safe gathering spot by checking the maps posted near the exits to your building. Meeting at this location allows you to be accounted for in a true emergency. However, if an alarm sounds and you do not know the location of the official gathering spot for your building, putting 50 or more feet between you and the building is also acceptable.
4. Anyone who requires assistance to exit the building should go to an “area of refuge” when an alarm sounds. These areas are marked and are usually located in stairwells or near elevators with rescue phones. One other person may wait with an individual in these refuge areas because they are considered safe and allow Denver Fire Department to give you verbal instructions in an emergency.
5. It is absolutely unacceptable to re-enter the building before receiving clearance from campus safety, even when service animals and/or pets are in the building. If your animal is with you when the alarm starts, you should bring it with you when you evacuate. No one may re-enter the building to retrieve their animal during a fire drill. In the case of a real fire, animals in the building must be reported to Denver Fire Department, along with the room number where the animal is located.

Thank you for your cooperation and attention on this matter. Let’s keep Regis prepared and safe!
-From your Safety Officer at Physical Plant