Emergency Guide

General Evacuation Procedures

The following procedures apply to any evacuation situation:

  1. Become familiar with the building. Know the location of emergency exits.
  2. In any emergency situation, contact the police at 911 from any phone.
  3. In the event an evacuation is necessary, you will be directed by the STCC Police or the fire department to evacuate.
  4. Remain calm. Try to keep others calm.
  5. Exit the building using stairwells. Never use the elevators. Close and secure all doors behind you.
  6. Proceed to the designated meeting area(s). Keep quiet and listen for directions from the STCC Police Officers or the fire department.
  7. Notify the first responding agency of trapped or injured persons or persons with disabilities and their locations.
  8. Never re-enter the building unless directed to do so by the STCC Police or the fire department.

Fire & Smoke Evacuation Procedures

If a fire alarm sounds, take it seriously. If you notice a fire or smell smoke:

  1. DO NOT fight the fire. Remain calm.
  2. Call the police at 911 from any phone.
    1. Give your name.
    2. Give the name of the building.
    3. Give your location and type of problem.
  3. Pull the fire alarm box located next to any stairwell.
  4. Exit the building using stairwells.  Never use the elevators. Close and secure all doors behind you.
  5. Proceed to the designated meeting area(s). Keep quiet and listen for directions from the STCC Police or the fire department.
  6. Notify the first responding agency of trapped or injured persons or persons with disabilities and their location(s).
  7. Never re-enter the building unless directed to do so by the STCC Police or the fire department.

Evacuation Procedures for Persons with Disabilities

Springfield Technical Community College recognizes that due to the differences in campus buildings, the limitations presented by various types of disabilities, and the range of possible circumstances that could be presented by different types of disasters, persons with disabilities will make individual decisions based upon the circumstances presented.

  1. If circumstances require evacuation from a campus building, persons with disabilities are to evacuate the building by the safest and nearest exit and follow the general procedures for emergency evacuation.
  2. If persons with disabilities are unable to evacuate without assistance, they should request that any available person notify the fire department or the STCC Police at the scene that they are in need of assistance.
  3. The persons with disabilities should provide the person going for help with any information that may be required in the evacuation process (e.g., wheelchair bound, lift required, etc.).
  4. Areas of safe refuge will be in the stairwells of any building
  5. If the fire department or the STCC Police are not on the scene, the persons with disabilities or the assisting person should telephone the police at 911 and request assistance. The location, reason evacuation assistance is required, and necessity for special equipment should be given.
  6. In the event a fire alarm sounds, the first responding agency (STCC Police or the fire department) will search out persons with disabilities  reported to be in the building and assist them in evacuating the building.
  7. In the event of an evacuation during a non-fire emergency, the steps described above will be followed.
  8. Persons with disabilities who anticipate that they may have difficulty in evacuating any campus building should request that the Office of Disability Services arrange to have a copy of their schedules for each semester put on file by building and by time of day with the STCC Police. The persons with disabilities are responsible for reporting schedule changes to the Office of Disability Services.

Fire Drill Procedures

The procedures to be followed for fire drills are identical to the emergency evacuation plan in the steps described above, except that the persons with disabilities may be asked to remain in the building if the availability of evacuation personnel and/or special equipment is limited.

Non-Emergency Evacuation Procedures

If persons with disabilities need to be evacuated in a non-emergency situation, such as a power failure or elevator shut down, they may call the STCC Police at extension 4220 (413-755-4220). With proper notification, the STCC Police may decide to contact a professional transportation agency to facilitate safe and proper evacuation. The College will pay for costs associated with evacuation services performed by such agencies.

Recommendations

  1. To facilitate the evacuation of students with disabilities, the Office for Disability Services will provide the STCC Police with a list of students who have identified themselves as having mobility impairments requiring the use of wheelchairs, crutches, braces or canes, or visual impairments requiring a guide dog or cane.
  2. All students who have identified themselves as disabled will be informed of emergency evacuation procedures by the Office of Disability Services at the beginning of each academic year and periodically throughout the academic year as new individuals are identified as disabled.
  3. It is recommended that the Office of Disability Services, in conjunction with the STCC Police and appropriate city fire officials, sponsor emergency evacuation training workshops for students with disabilities at the beginning of each academic year and at regular intervals throughout the year. The workshops should cover all of the aforementioned procedures.
  4. All faculty, administrators, and staff will be notified of these procedures by the Office of Disability Services.
  5. The effectiveness of the plan will be monitored by the STCC Police and the Office of Disability Services. Regular reports on progress/problems will be forwarded to the STCC Police.

Contingency

The above noted plan is intended to assist the appropriate authorities in evacuating persons with disabilities. However, if the fire department has not arrived and a need exists to move the persons with disabilities out of the building quickly, as in a situation of threatening the lives of the persons with disabilities, the STCC Police may consider evacuating the persons with disabilities themselves provided that under all circumstances, the evacuation can be done safely and not expose further lives to danger. If possible, evacuation will be conducted with input from, and at the direction of, the persons with disabilities.

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