Yesterday afternoon, the fire alarms in BiHall sounded and everyone in the building evacuated. I was here with two student workers. (Nancy and Todd, who know everything about everything, were at a meeting at the Main Library–lucky for them!) My knowledge of emergency procedures was a little rusty, so I figured everyone could use a reminder on this very important topic.
It is crucial that we all know what to do in an emergency. You’ve all been caught by surprise by one thing or another. I’m sure you agree that it’s best to not be caught by surprise by a potentially dangerous event like a fire, medical emergency, or (yikes) a bomb threat. Of course, if a supervisor is here then the supervisor will take the lead. But there are times when the nearest supervisor is at the Main Library. (Remember that you can call the Circ Desk at the Main Library whenever you need advice.)
Are you convinced that you need a reminder? Good. Here it is:
If there is an emergency, the first thing you should do is tell a supervisor in Armstrong (me, Todd or Nancy). If no supervisor is present, the most important thing to remember is that we have an EMERGENCIES BINDER. It’s bright red, and it’s on the shelf outside Todd’s office. It has all the advice you’ll need. I failed to consult this manual yesterday, and now I am determined to not let you fail too!
Your assignment now is to find the red Emergencies binder and review it. Then, test yourself.
- If the fire alarm sounds, what are you supposed to do?
- If someone reports that a student has fainted in the Great Hall, what are you supposed to do?
- If there is flooding in the library, what are you supposed to do?
Remember what you’re supposed to do FIRST in these situations.
Todd will check your familiarity with our emergency procedures soon. And I promise that you’ll be grateful for the review if you’re at the desk the next time the alarm sounds.
By the way, there really was a fire in the building. It was in one of the labs, it was small, and it was extinguished quickly.
Thanks,
Carrie
Thanks for the heads-up Carrie. I just looked through the Emergency folder. Under Emergency Supplies (‘A-4’), it would be helpful if we knew the exact locations of the supplies mentioned.
Thanks!
Dilanthi
Thanks for the suggestion, Dilanthi! Emergency supplies are kept in room 160 (storage room downstairs), south wall, back corner. Todd will add a note to the Emergencies binder so you won’t have to remember this!