Fire Provisions & Evacuation

IF A FIRE IS DISCOVERED INSIDE YOUR SUITE 

  1. Advise others and move everyone away from the fire. 
  2. Confine the fire by closing all doors in the area. 
  3. Notify the Fire Department (911) and provide the following information: 
    • Building Name
    • Building Address 
    • Nearest Cross Street 
    • Suite Number or Exact Location of Fire 
    • Your call back number
    NOTE: Do not hang up until the Emergency Operator does so. 
  4. Notify the Management Office
  5. Attempt to extinguish the fire only under the following conditions: 
    • If the fire is small and can easily be extinguished. 
    • You are familiar with the operation of an extinguisher and it can be done safely. 
    • You have someone with you. 
    • You have your back facing an exit.
  6. Proceed to the nearest exit to evacuate. Exit via stairwells; DO NOT use the elevators. They can be extremely dangerous and will be taken out of service.
    • Stairwell A exits the Building through the lobby at Orange Avenue.
    • Stairwell B exits the Building through the basement into the Loading Dock area.
  7. Once outside the building, move to a safe refuge area away from the building and Fire Department operations. 
    • If you utilized Stairwell A to exit the Building proceed down Orange Avenue to Washington Street and into the Private Parking Garage. Go immediately to the designated area for your suite.
    • If you utilized Stairwell B to exit the Building go directly into the Private Parking Garage to the designated area for your suite.

NOTE: FIRES NEED FUEL, HEAT AND OXYGEN TO SURVIVE. YOU CAN REDUCE OR EXTINGUISH FIRE BY REMOVING ANY ONE OF THESE ELEMENTS. FOR EXAMPLE, CLOSE DOORS AND USE EXTINGUISHER TO REDUCE OXYGEN, THROW WATER ON THE FIRE TO REDUCE HEAT, AND ELIMINATE FUEL SOURCES BY REMOVING NEARBY PAPER, PLASTICS, AND OTHER FLAMMABLES.

IF A FIRE IS DISCOVERED OUTSIDE OF YOUR SUITE:
If you are in your suite, smoke or heat is evident in the corridor, and you are not able to exit, proceed as follows:

  1. Call 911 and provide the following information:
    • Building Name
    • Building Address 
    • Nearest Cross Street 
    • Suite Number or Exact Location of Fire 
    • Your call back number 
    NOTE: Do not hang up until the Emergency Operator does so. 
  2.  Call the Management Office
    • Report your building number, floor and suite number. 
  3. FEEL THE DOOR. If it is hot or warm, DO NOT OPEN IT! 
  4. CLOSE AS MANY DOORS AS POSSIBLE BETWEEN YOU AND THE FIRE. 
  5. IF SMOKE ENTERS YOUR SUITE FROM BENEATH THE DOOR, seal the area with a fire blanket, wet towel or other misted material. 
  6. IF SMOKE IN YOUR SUITE BECOMES UNBEARABLE, break a window for additional oxygen. 
  7. IF YOUR TELEPHONE STOPS WORKING, display brightly colored material from the window. Wave it to make it more visible to rescuers. 
  8. DO NOT JUMP!

FIRE SAFETY REMINDERS

  1. Post Emergency Phone Numbers for all employees. 
  2. Make sure all employees are aware of the location of fire extinguishers and are familiar with how an extinguisher operates. 
  3. In a fire or other emergency, follow the instruction of your designated Emergency Coordinator and other Emergency Personnel. 
  4. Never use the elevators.
  5. While it is usually advised to go downward in a building during a fire, there are occasions when it may be necessary to go to an upper floor or the roof. For example, if smoke enters the stairwell, you may be driven upwards toward cleaner air.
  6. Keep to the right on the stairs to avoid firefighters who will be coming up the stairs.
  7. If you are disabled, wait for the fireman in the elevator lobby on your floor. Advise an associate to immediately report your location to the Fire Department.
  8. If you encounter smoke, get down on your hands and knees. Air is cleaner and cooler near the floor. Crawl to the nearest stairwell and exit if it is safe to do so.
  9. Few people are burned to death in fires. Most fire-related deaths are the result of smoke inhalation, poisonous gas or panic. Panic can be avoided by being well prepared for an emergency. Learn all the emergency procedures as if they were second nature.

FIRE PREVENTION TIPS

  1. Replace any electrical cord that has cracked insulation or a broken connector. 
  2. Do not pinch electrical cords under or behind furniture. 
  3. Do not run electrical extension cords under chair mats or across doorways where they can be stepped on or chaffed. 
  4. Leave space for air to circulate around heat-producing equipment such as copiers and computer terminals. 
  5. Turn off or unplug all appliances, including coffee makers and hot plates at the end of each workday. 
  6. Keep exits, storage areas and stairways free from waste paper, empty boxes, dirty rags and other fire hazards. 
  7. Know the locations of fire extinguishers in the building and your work area. 
  8. Remove trash on a regular basis. 
  9. Close all doors after working hours. 
  10. Discard all flammable liquids. 
  11. Observe the building’s NO SMOKING policies. Never throw matches or cigarette butts into waste containers (inside or outside of building).

All extinguishers in the building may be used on fires originating from wood, paper, plastic, grease, oil and electricity.

The fire extinguishers in the Building are:

  • Type A-B-C (Halon & Dry Chemical)

Operating A Fire Extinguisher: 

  • To open the cabinet, turn the handle and pull open.
  • Remember the “P-A-S-S” method for effective fire extinguisher use:

P – Pull the safety pin. This is usually the pin with a string attached.
A – Aim the hose, nozzle or horn at the base of the fire.
S – Squeeze the trigger handle
S – Sweep from side to side and watch for the re-flash of the fire.

NOTE: ALWAYS MAINTAIN A THREE-FOOT CLEARANCE AREA AROUND FIRE EQUIPMENT. ONCE THE EQUIPMENT HAS BEEN USED, DO NOT TRY TO RE-HANG IT, EVEN FOR A FEW SECONDS. USED EXTINGUISHERS SHOULD BE SERVICED IMMEDIATELY!

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