I thank all of you who provided input into the fire drill forum, I would
like to take the next step in this fire drill discussion. What is an
effective way to determine if every one has left the building. This is for
both fire drills and actual activations (fire alarms, etc..) This will be
crossing over into the evacuation issue. However, a fire drill is a
simulated evacuation.

Does any one key into all of the rooms to ensure that every one has left
the building? (especially 3:00 AM on a Sunday morning with 4 inches of snow
on the ground), what are some pros and cons ?

Pros = 1) 100 % effective to ensure compliance with fire alarms &
evacuation. 2) After doing this a few times, students know their room will
be checked, and may less hesitant to stay or have delay in leaving the room.

Cons = 1) Staffing issues in checking the rooms. 2) Amount of time needed
to check the rooms. 3) Locations that have multiple false alarms in one
evening, may not perform complete room checks after the 2nd or 3rd alarm.

Anyone have any option on sheltering in place? We instruct and tell these
students from day one, they need to leave the building when their is an
emergency. The times are few and far between, but, do we do an acceptable
job in teaching the students when is it "OK" not to leave the room because
of a heavy smoke condition or fire condition that may be in the hallway
outside of their room?

In addition to working on refining a procedure with our Police and
Residence LIfe staff dealing with evacuation, I am facilitating this
discussion in a meeting on Thursday with campus fire safety officials and
administrators here in the State of Ohio. I would like to share your
comments as campus fire safety professionals. Please feel free to provide
input. I hope we all can add to the list of pros and cons (I as well as the
rest of you, are interested in how other schools deal with similar issues)

As many life safety devices, notification appliances and early warning
systems we install in these residence halls, if the students do not leave
the building then we are faced with other issues.

I appreciate your time, Have a good day.

-Randy-


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Randall L. Hormann              [log in to unmask]
Miami University                6 Hughes Hall (EHSO)
Fire/Safety Specialist          Oxford, Ohio 45056
Fire Safety Inspector           Office: 513-529-2461
http://www.ehs.muohio.edu/      Fax:    513-529-2830
Page me Via  E-Mail:  [log in to unmask]

State:  Fire Safety Inspector - Instructor (Ohio)
Chair:  International Assoc. of Campus Fire Safety Officials
Member: Ohio Fire Chiefs Assoc., Fire Code Committee.
Member: Ohio Fire Officials Association.
Advisor:Sigma Alpha Epsilon - Fraternity.
Advisor:Alpha Lambda Delta/Phi Eta Sigma - National Honor Society.

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