Emergency Evacuation Guidelines

If you see a fire in one of SCC's buildings:

1. Pull the nearest fire alarm.
2. Dial 911 to alert the fire department.
3. Dial 0 to alert the College Information Center.
4. Use a fire extinguisher if the fire is small.
5. Evacuate the building, closing (not locking) doors as you exit.

Evacuation and Emergency Escape Procedures

In the event of an alarm sounding or other notice of evacuation, all persons, including students, faculty, staff, and visitors should leave the building by the closest available exit in an orderly manner. Emergency evacuation routes are posted in the facilities.
 

Accountability for Students

The instructor should evacuate the class to the safest location. It is preferable that doors are closed, but not locked, as classrooms are evacuated and the instructor ensures that the classroom is empty. The instructor should try and regroup the class at the evacuation site. Any student(s) unaccounted for should be reported to emergency response personnel immediately.
 

Accountability for Employees

Supervisors or designees should account for the employees in their immediate work area or department. Any employee(s) unaccounted for should be reported to emergency response personnel immediately. Because supervisors are responsible for accounting for employees, it is imperative that work groups reassemble in the designated evacuation site after evacuation.
 

Evacuation Sites

The primary evacuation site should be utilized when possible, but an alternate site is designated in case the primary site is unsuitable due to smoke/wind conditions or other factors. (Jackson Campus Map) This map is only a recommendation by building, please look at options safest for your work area or classroom and make adjustments to your evacuation site as needed. 

Rescue and Medical Duties

Rescue and medical duties should be performed by the appropriate county emergency response personnel including EMS, Fire and Rescue departments. Employees of the college are neither trained nor required to perform rescue and medical duties. Nothing in this procedure should be interpreted as restricting employees from providing first aid or rescue assistance on a volunteer basis.

Evacuation of Persons with Disabilities

In the event of a building evacuation in Founders Hall, Balsam Center, Burrell Building and Health Sciences the persons with mobility impairment who may be on an upper floor must use their own discretion to determine if using the elevator is more of a risk than waiting for rescue personnel to reach them.

Faculty and staff of the college cannot be required to lift or carry a person with a mobility impairment and this is not required as it is beyond the Office of Civil Rights definition of "minor assistance" and is considered to be "services of a personal nature" which are not required by the Americans with Disabilities Act.

This is not to imply that employees of the college are prohibited from offering this type of assistance during an emergency. If a person with mobility impairment does not utilize a wheelchair, but could benefit from assistance during an evacuation, office or computer lab chairs with rollers are readily available in every building.

Fire Drills and Mobility Impaired Individuals

Persons with mobility impairments may request advance notification of planned fire drills so that the individual can decide whether evacuation during the drill is advisable or would possibly pose a risk of injury. In this case, mandatory participation is not required for persons with mobility impairments. To request advance notification, the person with a documented mobility disability must notify the Accessibility and Equity Office (if a student) or HR (if an employee). 

To request advance notification, students with a documented mobility disability must notify the Learner Accessibility & Equity Advocate at accessibility@southwesterncc.edu. The Accessibility and Equity Office will provide the Emergency Services Safety Coordinator and Campus Resource Officers with a list of such persons requesting advance notification once the student/faculty/staff has requested the early alert service. Emergency Services Safety Coordinator or the Campus Resource Officers will notify the persons by telephone, in person, or by email prior to the drill.