Fire Alarm Safety Guide

When a fire alarm, act immediately to ensure your safety. 

The Fire Alarm System is designed and engineered to provide you with an early warning to exit the building during an emergency safely. 

Don’t bother checking social media—exit the building! Never ignore or assume the alarm is false or the result of a test. Just because you don’t see or smell smoke or something burning, doesn’t mean there isn’t an emergency. 

This is especially important if you are working in a lab area. When you hear the fire alarm, evacuate the building immediately and safely. Do not hide in the back corner of your office or classroom, or stay in bed. Some fire systems are equipped with a PA system—listen for instructions or directions that may be given.

Be sure to take your personal belongings with you – wallets, keys, phones, purses, and backpacks – as you may not be able to re-enter the building as quickly as you think.
Everyone must evacuate the building via the safest and closest exit and/or stairway. Do not walk down the hall a little further to meet your friend or coworker, or because you want to go somewhere else—go to the closest exit!

Never use an elevator to exit during a fire alarm activation.

Once outside, move away from the building. Assemble near designated assembly points, across a parking lot or along the sidewalk of an adjacent building. Do not stand near the doors of the affected building; this delays people trying to exit and responders attempting to enter.

The front of the building, loading docks, and areas around fire hydrants are where the firefighters and fire trucks will be operating. Do not obstruct their access to the building.
If an incident occurs on the upper floors and glass is blown out of the windows, the area below is the hazard zone where serious personal injuries can occur. Do not remain in or near the hazard zone.

It's important to never re-enter the building until you are told to do so by the fire department or by UMass Dartmouth Police.