FIRE

Fire and evacuation information is posted on the inside of each residence hall, apartment, theme house and Greek house room door.  Residents should be familiar with this information.  Simpson College considers fire safety extremely important, and students have an obligation to adhere to College regulations as well as city and state statutes.  Simpson College residence halls, apartments, theme houses and Greek houses are required to conduct periodic fire drills each semester.  Failure to respond appropriately to fire alarms will necessitate the scheduling of additional drills and disciplinary action against the resident(s) involved.

In Case of Fire:

• Sound the fire alarm.
• Evacuate the building!!
• Call Security (x1711) or 911.

Evacuation Procedures:

• Feel the door from top to bottom with your hands.  If it is hot, do not open it!
• If the door is cool, crouch low, and open it slowly.  If there is heavy smoke, close the door quickly.
• If the hallway is clear, exit via the nearest stairwell.
• If you encounter heavy smoke in the stairwell, do not proceed--go to a different stairwell.

When Trapped In A Room:

• Stuff towels or clothing under the door.
• Open windows--attract someone’s attention.
• Stay near the window for fresh air.

Failure to adhere to the emergency procedures is a serious offense and will be treated as such.  It is a Federal offense to tamper with Fire Equipment. Simpson College policy requires that everyone evacuate the building when an alarm sounds. Improper use of Fire Extinguisers, removing or damaging an alarm, or creating false alarms are serious offenses of Simpson College policy. Disciplinary action, fines, and/or removal from housing can occur for anyone responsible for infractions regarding fire regulations.

TORNADO

During severe weather alerts (watches and warnings), residents are encouraged to monitor television and radio reports and should take reasonable precautions.  Windows should be closed during thunderstorms or severe weather alerts.  Each resident should have a flashlight accessible in case of power failure.

When tornado alert sounds:

• Proceed to the lowest floor that can be reached before high winds or the tornado strikes.
• Stay away from windows.
• All electrical items should be disconnected it time permits.
• Remain calm.
• If a tornado strikes, do not move to see the damage until the storm is well out of the area.  Tornadoes sometimes come in twos.

The Office of Security is equipped to monitor up-to-the-minute conditions during all weather watches and warnings.  Communication of that information is made to the Residence Life staff as quickly and completely as possible, and each hall staff is prepared to notify residents and/or take appropriate precautions as needed.

However, in a critical situation such as a tornado threat, time may not allow staffs to conduct a floor-by-floor or room-by-room alert.  Persons who fail to respond to a tornado alert siren or who choose to leave safer areas of the building before an alert siren does so at their own risk.