Fire Emergencies

According to the U.S. Fire Administration, each year college and university students, on- and off-campus, experience hundreds of fire-related emergencies nationwide. There are several specific causes for fires on college campuses, including cooking, intentionally set fires, and open flame. Overall, most college-related fires are due to a general lack of knowledge about fire safety and prevention.

The most important action in the event of a fire, is to save lives through evacuation. The next most important action is to call the Fire Department. Do not delay in calling for help. There are many possibilities as to the size and spread of a fire- it is best to be safe and let professionals handle the fire.

Each year, countless lives are lost and property is destroyed due to fires- many of these tragedies could be avoided by taking precautionary actions, such as practicing response preparedness. The following steps should be taken in the event of an actual fire (visible flame):

Only use a fire extinguisher if the fire is very small and you have been trained to do so safely. If you cannot put out the fire, leave immediately and make sure the building alarm is activated and emergency personnel notified.

For more information about fire extinguishers, visit the VCSU Safety Website