Evacuation Exercise Purpose & Frequently Asked Questions

The reason we conduct campus-wide emergency exercises is to assess our state of readiness and identify our strengths and weaknesses in preparing for disasters/emergencies. As part of the campus-wide evacuation exercise on Friday, April 28, 2000, we will assess the following:

• Notification procedures - Education relating to "What are Emergency Assembly Points?" and which one to go to and how to get to them as well as what to expect once you are there. The testing of the alarm systems in our major buildings. The testing of communications to persons on campus as to how to get to the Emergency Assembly Points and communications at the Emergency Assembly Points.
• Compliance - Once the alarms are sounded, do people evacuate the buildings in a timely manner or are there persons who refuse or are reluctant to leave the buildings and/or go somewhere else other than to an Emergency Assembly Point?
• Pedestrian flow - Are the pathways on campus and the routes people take going to be adequate for an orderly, safe evacuation of buildings and movement to the Emergency Assembly Points?
• Space needs - Are the designated Emergency Assembly Points going to be of sufficient size to adequately serve as assembly points? Will one or more of the Emergency Assembly Points become overcrowded and if so, what alternatives does the campus have?

Remember that you are an important component of this exercise, and in order to obtain a true evaluation we are depending on your understanding, willingness to participate and feedback as to your assessment of the exercise.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

• If I am in a building that does not have an alarm system, how am I going to know when to evacuate?
• In an actual disaster, the nearest Emergency Assembly Point to where I am located may not be safe to go to or the route to get there may not be safe. What do I do then?
• What am I going to do once I get to an Emergency Assembly Point?

If I am in a building that does not have an alarm system, how am I going to know when to evacuate?

For the exercise on April 28, 2000, we are giving advance warning of the date and approximate time (between 2:00 and 2:15 p.m.). If you are at a location that does not have an alarm system, please take it upon yourself to proceed to an Emergency Assembly Point between 2:00 and 2:15 p.m. and wait there for further instructions. Staff members in temporary structures on campus have been advised of this and will help instruct occupants of their buildings.

In an actual disaster, the nearest Emergency Assembly Point to where I am located may not be safe to go to or the route to get there may not be safe. What do I do then?

In any disaster, we must rely on everyone to use common sense and good judgement. If you have been advised or discovered on your own that an Emergency Assembly Point is unsafe to go to, then go to the next closest one. If you move toward an Emergency Assembly Point and one route seems unsafe, due to falling glass next to a building or downed power lines, choose another route. There is no way for anyone to predict what the circumstances will be following a disaster-that is why we will be relying on your common sense and maybe some personal pre-planning to assist in getting you to a safe place and a place where you will receive additional information.

What am I going to do once I get to an Emergency Assembly Point?

For the purpose of the exercise on April 28, 2000, you will be asked to fill out a brief evaluation or assessment of the exercise. You will be asked to remain at the Emergency Assembly Point until all buildings have been evacuated, volunteer personnel have made a check for evacuation compliance and you get the okay to re-occupy the campus buildings. Once you receive the okay to leave the Emergency Assembly Point, the campus will again become fully operational and classes and work will resume as scheduled. Following an actual disaster, you will remain at the Emergency Assembly Points until persons have been accounted for and additional information has been obtained to assure your safe departure. Some considerations would be the condition of buildings, parking lots, utilities, emergency services and road/highway availability. Again, your patience, understanding, calmness and ability to follow directions will become a vital factor in the successful recovery from any disaster.

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