Fire & Building Evacuation
What should I do?
In the event of a fire, pull the nearest fire alarm, call the Notre Dame Fire Department, and evacuate immediately. When a fire alarm sounds, Indiana law requires complete evacuation of the building.
When evacuating, check doors and handles for heat before opening. If the door or handle is hot, DO NOT open the door. Seek an alternative exit. If smoke, heat, or flames block your exit routes, stay in the room with the door(s) closed and call 911 from a landline or 574-631-5555 from your cell phone and inform emergency responders of your situation.
If you are in a room with windows and unable to evacuate, draw attention to yourself by opening the window, yelling and waving your arms, then hang a bed sheet or article of clothing out of the window and close the window. Do not leave the window open.
Report all fires, no matter how small and including those that have been extinguished, to the Notre Dame Fire Department.
Fire Extinguishers
In most cases, employees are at less rick if they evacuate rather than use fire extinguishers. Fire extinguishers are available yet there is not an expectation that people utilize fire extinguishers in the event of a fire. If you are going to use a fire extinguisher, you must be trained annually and they should only be used for small fires. Training for faculty and staff can be completed online via eNDeavor.
Fight fire only if:
- The Fire Department has been notified.
- The fire is small and is not spreading to other areas.
- An escape route is available.
- The fire extinguisher is in working condition and personnel are trained to use it.
Stop, Drop, Roll
If you or your clothing catch fire, immediately STOP what you are doing, DROP to the ground and cover your eyes and mouth with your hands, and ROLL over and over, back and forth until the flames are out. If necessary, seek medical attention right away.
What will the fire department do?
When the fire department arrives, the first thing they will do is talk to the person that discovered the fire specifically to gather more information on the location and type of fire. Not all fires can be extingusihed with water! Then, they will go to the area of the incident to extinguish the fire.