All employees are required to complete annual fire safety/fire prevention training.
In advance of an emergency, determine the nearest exits to your location and the best routes to follow. If time permits during the evacuation, secure your workplace and take personal items such as; keys for car and house, prescription medication, wallets/purse.
In most emergencies, complete evacuation of the campus is not necessary. If, however, there is a major hazardous materials release, flood, or other major incident, it may be necessary to relocate all university personnel to a safer location.
Evacuation from a building
- Walk, do not run.
- Do not use elevators.
- If safe to do so, assist people with mobility impairments as indicated by that person, or direct them to the nearest stairwell, and contact ASU Police or local law enforcement agency for assistance.
- Gather outside at a designated assembly area. There, your supervisor/senior person will take roll and account for all personnel.
- Do not return to your building until instructed by ASU Police or local law enforcement agency, EHS, or other responders in charge of the scene.
In-place evacuations
In some instances, it is safer to evacuate “in-place” than it is to leave a building, e.g., smoke or fire is immediately outside your room, live electrical wires bar access to the exit, individuals with mobility impairments are above or below ground floors or the hazard is outside the building or area you are located.
- Call 911 and tell them your name, location (campus, building and address) and if you are unable to evacuate, include why evacuation is not possible. Follow directions of the 911 operator.
On-campus assembly areas
In the event of an area evacuation, you will be notified where assembly areas will be located. Food, water, first-aid, shelter and information will be available at designated assembly areas when applicable.
If you discover a fire or see smoke
- If the building alarm is not sounding, manually activate the alarm by using a fire alarm pull station generally located near an exit if the building is equipped.
- Immediately exit the building and close doors behind you on your way out.
- Call 911 from the nearest safe phone or activate an emergency blue light call box if applicable.
Note: Dialing 911 from a cell phone may not go directly to the ASU Police or local law enforcement agency. (Always provide ASU campus and address).
If the building fire alarm is activated or someone informs you of a fire
- Walk to the nearest exit. Do not use the elevators!
- If able, assist people with mobility impairments.
- Notify emergency personnel if you know or suspect someone is trapped or still inside the building.
- Gather outside at a designated area away from the building, and do not attempt to re-enter the building until authorized to do so by the emergency responders.
If caught in smoke
- Drop to hands and knees and crawl towards the nearest exit.
- Stay low as smoke will rise to the ceiling.
- Hold your breath as much as possible; breathe through your nose and use a filter, such as a shirt or towel.
If trapped in a room
- Close as many doors as possible between you and the fire.
- Wet and place cloth material around or under the door to help prevent smoke from entering the room.
- If the room has an outside window, be prepared to signal someone outside.
Clothing on fire: Stop, drop and roll
- Roll person around on the floor to smother the flame.
- Only drench with water if a safety shower is immediately available.
- Call 911 to obtain medical attention.
- Report incident to a supervisor. The supervisor is responsible for notifying ASU’s Office of Human Resources and EHS.
Information can be located on the contacts page.
Fire extinguisher instructions: PASS
Note: Call 911 prior to attempting to extinguish any fire. Inform the 911 operator of the current situation and location of the fire. No one at ASU is required to attempt to fight a fire.
- Pull the pin completely from the fire extinguisher.
- Aim the nozzle at the base of the fire.
- Squeeze the handle to discharge the agent onto the base of the fire.
- Sweep the nozzle side to side at the base of the fire and continue discharging a few seconds after the fire has been extinguished.
Note: Only use a fire extinguisher if the fire is considered small or at an incipient, or beginning, stage and you have completed your annual fire safety training. If you cannot put out the fire, evacuate immediately.
