Emergency Reponse and Evacuation Procedures

Peirce College values the safety of its students, faculty, administration, and staff. In the event of an emergency, Peirce College will respond immediately and appropriately by using timely warning, lock down, shelter in place, and/or evacuation procedures as described below. Under the direction of campus security and/or other designated College personnel, such as the Chief Auxiliary Services Officer, emergency response procedures will be enacted. In the event that emergency procedures are enacted, the College will provide timely and ongoing updates to the College community as appropriate.

On a semi-annual basis, the College will conduct testing for emergency response and evacuation procedures. Notification of scheduled testing of the emergency response and evacuation procedures will be shared with the College community, through the College email system, student portal or the College website. Documentation of the testing of emergency response and evacuation procedures, which will entail a description of the exercise, date, time, a copy of the announcement and meeting notes after assessing the test, will be placed on file the Office of the Chief Auxiliary Services Officer.

In consultation with local police, fire officials, campus security and/or members of Peirce's emergency response team, the Chief Auxiliary Officer will confirm an emergency. Once a significant emergency or dangerous situation involving an immediate threat to the health or safety of students, faculty, administration, and/or staff has been confirmed by the Chief Auxiliary Services Officer or designee, the College will use the following procedures:

  1. Determine the appropriate segment or segments of the campus community to receive the emergency notification
  2. Under the direction of the Chief Auxiliary Services Officer, Assistant Vice President of Marketing and Communications, and/or the Dean of Students, determine the content of the notification
  3. Initiate the timely warning and emergency notification procedures
  4. Provide detailed follow up information through any of the means listed in the timely warning and emergency notification section
  5. Document the use of emergency procedures (date, time, description of procedures enacted will be kept on file in the Office of the Chief Auxiliary Services Officer)

SHELTER IN PLACE (INSIDE ACTIVITY)

There is activity going on INSIDE our buildings and Shelter in Place and Lockdown is ordered. In this scenario, you are to find a safe haven area, lock the doors, stay away from doors and windows and conceal yourself as best as you can from the intruder being able to see you, hear you or gain access to your space. If you can safely exit the building without harm to yourself or others, you should do so.

Most commonly used during an intruder inside the building or other activities inside the buildings. Notification will be provided to the College community through the Peirce College email system, public address system, student portal, the Peirce College website, text alert messaging system, or other means deemed appropriate by the College.

  1. Move all students, staff, and visitors into the nearest classroom, office, restroom, or secure room and lock the doors.
  2. Remain calm.
  3. Proceed to a room that can be locked, if possible.
  4. Occupants should be seated below window level, towards the middle of a room away from windows and doors.
  5. Stay low to the ground, on floor, and near solid interior walls.
  6. If unable to get outside, lie flat, get behind an obstruction, put distance between you and the danger and await police.
  7. Take cover under furniture, or other large objects placing as many items as possible between you and the threat.
  8. Blockade the door if possible with large/heavy furniture, or other heavy object.
  9. Pull down blinds, block windows and doors in an effort to obstruct vision from hallway, turn off lights.
  10. Remain quiet, silence cell phones, and any other noise producing objects.
  11. Do not peek out windows or doors to see what may be occurring.
  12. Help others when possible, especially the physically disabled.
  13. Remain in Shelter-In-Place until informed by Security, via the Emergency Public Address System by Emergency Personal that it is safe to leave.
  14. Anyone who is physically unable to crouch down should use a low chair, if possible.
  15. Anyone who uses wheelchairs should remain in their wheelchairs. If a person is out of the wheelchair at the time, efforts should be made to assist the person back into the wheelchair unless doing so jeopardizes safety.
  16. Wait until emergency personnel give you an "all clear".

SHELTER IN PLACE (OUTSIDE ACTIVITY)

There is activity going on OUTSIDE our buildings and Shelter in Place and Lockdown is ordered. In this scenario, you will be able to continue normal work activities in the building; however, stay away from windows and doors.

Most commonly used during weather emergencies or when an extremely hazardous substance is released into the outside atmosphere or when there is a civil disturbance outside of the College premises. Notification will be provided to the College community through the Peirce College email system, public address system, student portal, the Peirce College website, text alert messaging system, or other means deemed appropriate by the College.

  1. For hazardous substances outside the premises, the Building Engineer will shut down the fresh air intake systems.
  2. For Civil Disturbances, Fire, Police Activity, etc. occurring outside the building, remain inside the building until law enforcement or Campus Security notifies you it is safe to exit the buildings.
  3. Remain indoors, e.g. your office or classroom. You are allowed to move about the buildings, but you are not allowed to leave the building unless an all clear announcement has been made.

EVACUATION

Once the decision to evacuate the building has been made, it is the responsibility of the Chief Auxiliary Services Officer (CASO) to institute and oversee the evacuation process.

Evacuation Procedures

Notification of all personnel and students to evacuate the building will be made by sounding the fire alarms and /or the Emergency Public Address System and the text alert messaging system.

Fire wardens will be responsible for:

  1. Instructing employees, students, and visitors to form a single file line and proceed immediately into the nearest fire exit staying on one side of the staircase and leaving the other side open for firefighters and equipment.
  2. Instructing employees, students, and visitors NOT to use the Elevators under the following circumstances during a building evacuation:
    1. Fire (inside the facility)
    2. Natural gas leaks (inside the facility)
  3. Elevators MAY BE used under the following circumstances during a building evacuation:
    1. Fire (outside the facility)
    2. Natural gas leaks (outside the facility)
    3. Bomb threats (only if directed by the Philadelphia Police)
  4. Employees should hold onto the handrail, be careful and proceed at a steady but brisk walking pace.
  5. Remain calm at all times; this will help eliminate injuries to yourself and others.

 

Bomb threat evacuation procedures will be determined by the Philadelphia Police and Fire Departments. Depending on the location and area of a suspected bomb, the evacuation points may be different than those specified for fire. The Philadelphia Police will assist in directing personnel outside where to proceed. If the disaster is cause to evacuate all of our properties, the procedures listed above will be implemented and fire wardens will assist in directing personnel to the nearest exit in an orderly, calm and timely fashion. Evacuation from the properties will be a minimum of 100 feet from the facility. Fire Wardens will instruct personnel not to block the path of any fire equipment and roadways.

In order to expedite the safe evacuation of employees, students, and guests, fire wardens must have control of their groups and know exactly where to direct them.

 

Faculty are to take their classroom list and the payroll administrator is asked to take the employee lists. Security will take all sign in logs. This information is important to verify we have accounted for all personnel.

 

If the evacuation is not a result of a fire, internal natural gas leak, bomb threat or other means in situations when elevators can be used, then the physically challenged employees are to be led into the elevators assisted by a buddy assigned by their Fire Warden and taken down to the ground level and out to the appropriate gathering location.

 

If the evacuation is because of any other reason, the physically challenged are to be led into the fire exit and are to remain there until the Fire/Rescue arrives. A buddy will be assigned by the Fire Warden to the physically challenged individual and that buddy is to stay with the person until Fire/Rescue arrives. The physically challenged are not to be escorted down the fire exit with everyone else because this will interrupt the flow of personnel who are exiting and could cause harm to others.

 

Elevator shafts acts like a chimney. Heat and flammable fumes build up quickly inside the shafts and can be extremely dangerous or life threatening. DO NOT USE ELEVATORS WHEN FIRE OR SMOKE IS PRESENT.

 

Gathering Areas

If an emergency is declared, an announcement will be made via the Emergency Public Address System to evacuate the building and a timely warning text message will be sent to all on and off campus employees and students by text messaging by the Director of Communications. Fire wardens will assist personnel to exit the nearest fire tower and proceed as directed. Once everyone arrives at the gathering areas, await further instructions from the floor wardens or Campus Security.

 

When exiting the building, individuals should go to the following evacuation gathering locations:

  1. Exiting onto Carlisle St. proceed north on Carlisle St. to Pine St. then east on Pine St. to Broad St.
  2. Exiting onto Waverly St. proceed east on Waverly St. to Carlisle St. then south on Carlisle St. to Lombard St. then proceed east to Broad St.
  3. Exiting onto Pine St. proceed east on Pine St. to Broad St.
  4. Existing onto 15th Street, proceed south on 15th St., then east on Lombard St. to Broad St.
  5. Existing from the Courtyard through the utility yard, proceed east on Waverly to Carlisle St. then south on Carlisle St. to Lombard St. and then east on Lombard St. to Broad St.
  6. All employees, students, and guests must evacuate the buildings - NO exceptions.
  7. Campus Security will remain in the lobby area to ensure the safe evacuation of the facility and to assist emergency personnel if permitted and as needed.
  8. The College's Building Engineer and the Chief Auxiliary Services Officer will coordinate with the Fire Department and/or Law Enforcement in assisting them with floor plans and critical utility service locations.
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