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Environmental Health and Safety

Emergency Response to Fire

In case of a fire, observer should immediately contact the Illinois State University Police Department by dialing "911". Calls from campus phones are routed to the Illinois State University Police Department (ISUPD), where a dispatcher is on duty 24 hours a day. The dispatcher will contact the Normal Fire Department for assistance. Note: If calling from a cell phone or off campus phone, your call will be routed to Metcom, a county wide dispatch center. Please advise the operator that the call is an ISU campus emergency.

What do I do if I see smoke or fire in the building?

If someone sees fire or smells smoke in a building...

  • immediately pull the closest fire alarm pull station
  • evacuate the building
  • call 911 to alert the university police department.

Note:  When using a cell phone to call 911, the call will go directly to Metcom a county-wide dispatch center. The dispatcher should be notified that this is an emergency on the ISU campus.

The following information should be given to the dispatcher:

  1. Name of the caller.
  2. Location from which call is being made and location of the situation, if known.
  3. Phone number where caller can be reached on a callback.
  4. Description of the situation (i.e., fire, type of injury, etc.)
  5. If possible, stay on the phone until the dispatcher has obtained all the pertinent information; however, under no circumstances is anyone to place themselves in danger to make a phone call or stay on the phone.

 

What do I do in the case of a fire alarm?

Upon activation of a building fire alarm, the Building Coordinator/designee should call 911 from a university phone and report the fire/alarm. 

Note: 911 calls placed from cell phones will go directly to METCOM. a county wide dispatch center. Please advise the operator that the call is an ISU campus emergency.

  • Occupants should leave the room or area immediately (Always check doors for heat and halls for smoke before exiting the room). 
  • If door is hot to the touch or smoke is present, attempt to seek a different exit. If no other exit is available, seal the door and call 911 to report situation.
  • Evacuate the building using the nearest exit and proceed to designated assembly area
  • DO NOT use the elevators.
  • Report to the designated assembly area and / or follow other steps per the evacuation procedure to begin accountability process.

***ALL FIRE ALARMS ARE TO BE TREATED AS ACTUAL FIRE EVENTS***

Can I use a fire extinguisher that is available in the building?

Portable fire extinguishers are readily available in university buildings and may be used provided the following conditions are met:

  • The fire is small and contained to the extent that the observer is confident that the fire can be extinguished by the use of a portable fire extinguisher, and
  • The observer has been trained on the use of the portable fire extinguisher, and feels confident that he/she can safely extinguish the fire, and
  • The pull station has been activated and the campus police have been notified.