Evacuation procedures

Emergency evacuation locations for each building 

This section describes procedures for evacuating individual buildings and/or the entire Fredonia campus. 

An evacuation is defined as the emptying of an occupied area and the transference of its occupants to a safe location. A critical element of any evacuation is transportation. In many campuses and communities, auto-dependent commuters congest roadways to the point of "gridlock." The community population, high number of resident students, commuter students and use of transportation alternatives must be taken into account when planning the steps necessary to evacuate all campus occupants, whether they arrived by public transit, single-occupant auto, carpool, or bicycle.

In a major emergency, the decision to implement evacuation procedures generally rests with the Incident Commander and Incident Management Team. In situations requiring immediate action, public safety responders (Police, Fire and EMS) can also order an evacuation. When evaluating the decision to evacuate, consideration will be given to the specific threat (bomb, fire, storm, explosion, hazardous materials incident, etc.), its context (time of day, likelihood, etc.) and the recommendation of first responders.

Evacuations will generally fall into two categories:

  • Limited or partial evacuation in which a designated area and / or group of buildings may be evacuated for a specific time.
  • General evacuation in which the entire campus is evacuated for a prolonged period of time.

It is very important that regardless of the type or duration of an evacuation that faculty, staff, students and visitors listen very carefully to official information and evacuation orders issued from the university.

General Information

  • Any partial or full scale evacuation of the university is a complex, time-consuming task.
  • The decision to evacuate, and the methods used, shall be determined by the Incident Commander, in coordination with appropriate Incident Management Team members as well as other Emergency Response personnel (Village, Town and State officials).
  • If the decision to evacuate is made, the Incident Commander shall utilize all available methods of public notification to inform the campus community of the situation.
  • If it is necessary to evacuate the campus, exit in the direction given by University Police or other emergency authority.
  • Do not put your vehicle in a position where it blocks the way for others.
  • Some vehicles may be selected for emergency transportation. If your vehicle is chosen, please cooperate.
  • If the road is not usable, leave your vehicle off of the roadway and evacuate by foot.

Campus wide evacuation routes

  • In the event of a campus wide evacuation or partial campus evacuation, the following evacuation routes should be used. These route are mainly for motorized evacuation, but can be utilized for pedestrian evacuation as well.
    • North Route: Take Ring Road to University Village Drive and exit campus onto Brigham Road
    • West Route: Take Ring Road to Lake Way Drive and exit campus onto Brigham Road or Park Drive and exit campus onto Temple Road.
    • South Route: Take Old Main Drive and exit campus onto Temple Road
    • East Route: Take University Parkway or President’s Drive and exit campus onto Central Avenue

A building occupant is required by law to evacuate the building when the fire alarm sounds.

When evacuating your building or work area:

  • Stay calm; do not rush and do not panic.
  • Safely stop your work.
  • Gather your personal belongings if it is safe to do so (reminder: take prescription medications out with you if at all possible; it may be hours before you are allowed back in the building.)
  • If safe, close your office door and window, but do not lock them.
  • Use the nearest safe stairs and proceed to the nearest exit. Do not use the elevator.
  • After you evacuate the building, go to the designated assembly area.  Emergency Evacuation Locations for each building 
  • Wait for any instructions from emergency responders.
  • Do not re-enter the building or work area until you have been instructed to do so by the emergency responders.

 

  • The following guidelines are intended to help evacuate people with physical disabilities. Evacuating a disabled or injured person yourself is the last resort. Consider your options and the risks of injuring yourself and others in an evacuation attempt. Do not make an emergency situation worse.
  • Evacuation is difficult and uncomfortable for both the rescuers and the people being assisted. Some people have conditions that can be aggravated or triggered if they are moved incorrectly. Remember that environmental conditions (smoke, debris, loss of electricity) will complicate evacuation efforts.
  • The following guidelines are general and may not apply in every circumstance.
    • Occupants should be invited to volunteer ahead of time to assist disabled people in an emergency. If a volunteer is not available, designate someone to assist who is willing to accept the responsibility.
    • Volunteers should obtain evacuation training for certain types of lifting techniques.
    • Two or more trained volunteers, if available, should conduct the evacuation.
    • DO NOT evacuate disabled people in their wheelchairs. This is standard practice to ensure the safety of disabled people and volunteers. Wheelchairs will be evacuated later if possible.
    • Always ASK someone with a disability how you can help BEFORE attempting any rescue technique or giving assistance. Ask how they can best be assisted or moved, and whether there are any special considerations or items that need to come with them.
    • Before attempting an evacuation, volunteers and the people being assisted should discuss how any lifting will be done and where they are going.
      • Proper lifting techniques (e.g. bending the knees, keeping the back straight, holding the person close before lifting, and using leg muscles to lift) should be used to avoid injury to rescuers' backs. Ask permission of the evacuee if an evacuation chair or similar device is being considered as an aid in an evacuation. When using such devices, make sure the person is secured properly. Be careful on stairs and rest at landings if necessary.
      • Certain lifts may need to be modified depending on the person's disabilities.
      • DO NOT use elevators, unless authorized to do so by police or fire personnel. Elevators could fail during a fire.
      • If the situation is life threatening, call University Police at 716-673-3333.
      • Check on people with special needs during an evacuation. A "buddy system", where people with disabilities arrange for volunteers (co-workers/ neighbors) to alert them and assist them in an emergency, is a good method.
      • Attempt a rescue evacuation ONLY if you have had rescue training or the person is in immediate danger and cannot wait for professional assistance.

      • If an outage occurs during the day and people with disabilities choose to wait in the building for electricity to be restored, they can move near a window where there is natural light and access to a working telephone. During regular building hours, Building Representatives should be notified so they can advise emergency personnel.

        • If people would like to leave and an evacuation has been ordered, or if the outage occurs at night, call University Police at 716-673-3333. from a campus telephone to request evacuation assistance from emergency personnel.

        • Some campus telephones may not operate in a power outage, but cellular telephones and pay telephones are likely to be operating.

  • Blindness or Visual Impairment

    • Give verbal instructions to advise about the safest route or direction using compass directions, estimated distances, and directional terms.

    • DO NOT grasp a visually impaired person's arm. Ask if he or she would like to hold onto your arm as you exit, especially if there is debris or a crowd.

    • Give other verbal instructions or information (i.e. elevators cannot be used).

  • Deafness or Hearing Loss

    • Get the attention of a person with a hearing disability by touch and eye contact. Clearly state the problem. Gestures and pointing are helpful, but be prepared to write a brief statement if the person does not seem to understand.

    • Offer visual instructions to advise of safest route or direction by pointing toward exits or evacuation maps.

  • Mobility Impairment

    • It may be necessary to help clear the exit route of debris (if possible) so that the person with a disability can move out or to a safer area.

    • If people with mobility impairments cannot exit, they should move to a safer area (e.g., most enclosed stairwells, an office with the door shut which is a good distance from the hazard, etc.)

    • If you do not know the safer areas in your building, call University Police at 716-673-3333.

Individuals unable to be evacuated

  • Notify emergency responders immediately about any people remaining in the building and their locations.
  • Police or fire personnel will decide whether people are safe where they are and will evacuate them as necessary. The Fire Department may determine that it is safe to override the rule against using elevators.
  • If people are in immediate danger and cannot be moved to a safer area to wait for assistance, it may be necessary to evacuate them using an evacuation chair or a carry technique.

Faculty, Staff and Campus Visitors

  • In the event of an authorized evacuation, all faculty, staff, and campus visitors should leave campus and return to their home or other safe and appropriate intermediate destination unless told otherwise.

Students

  • In the event of an evacuation, all students who can provide their own transportation should leave the campus and return to their home, or other safe and appropriate intermediate destination, unless told otherwise.
  • Students should remember to take medications and any other essential personal items that may be needed during the evacuation period.
  • Students who cannot go home will be transported to a designated shelter. All available modes of transportation will be utilized to transport students who need transportation.

When You Leave the Campus

  • Since an evacuation could last from a few hours to several days, it is important to consider where you might stay and what things you might need. When you leave the campus you should take the following items:
    • Cell phone and charger
    • Two blankets or one sleeping bag
    • Two changes of clothing
    • Personal Identification and other important papers
    • Medication
    • Toilet articles
  • In addition, if you are going to a shelter for housing or assistance, you should bring your university identification card and other appropriate forms of identification.
  • Arrangements should be made for pets or other animals, as most shelters do not allow them.
  • When you leave, make sure appliances and faucets are turned off and doors and windows are locked.