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11. Fire Procedures

Fire Procedures

Follow these safety instructions for fire alarms, smoke, and fire.

Contact Campus Safety

For any on-campus emergency, contact Campus Safety.

• From an on-campus phone: dial ‘0’ or x7291
• From a cell phone: 413-528-7291

Risk

Fire and the associated dangers of smoke, structural damage, or toxic releases can pose serious threats of injury and death to students, employees, visitors, and emergency response personnel.

Safety Steps

In order to control a fire and minimize its damage, the following steps should be taken immediately:

1. Leave the area at once.
2. Pull the fire alarm.
3. Alert other people in the area and instruct them to leave the building.
4. Close, do not lock, all doors and windows if you can safely do so to help contain the fire.
5. Stay as low as possible to avoid smoke and heat.
6. Evacuate the building calmly but quickly.
7. Do not use elevators.
8. Go directly to the designated assembly area (see below) and await additional instructions. Report anyone who is missing and who was in your classroom or area when the evacuation began to emergency responders.
9. All residential building fire alarms will immediately dispatch the Great Barrington Fire Department. Regardless, as soon as possible, call the Campus Safety Department.
10. Remain at the assembly area until you are instructed how to proceed by Campus Safety staff or the Great Barrington Fire Department.

Actions If Trapped by Fire

• Alert emergency responders of your location by whistling, shouting, or using an object to beat on walls or floor in a rhythmic manner.
• If a telephone is available, call the Campus Safety Department and notify them of your location; you may also place an article of clothing or other device to use as a signal in a window, if a window is available.
• Stuff material in door cracks to minimize smoke and try to stay low, near the floor, where heat, smoke, and contaminants may be less.
• Do not try to fight a fire; leave any building and report to a safe meeting area away from the building.