Fire Safety

Emergency Preparedness

Traditionally, fires are the most common emergency incidents on university campuses and still claim the lives of multiple students each year. In fact, the majority of these deaths occurred in off-campus housing that was not under the auspices of the college or university, which is why you must take fire safety into your own hands to protect yourself and your belongings.

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Fire Drills

DU policy and Denver Fire Code require that all buildings on campus have at least one fire drill annually. Residential buildings are required to have three, and primary and early education facilities are required to have one each month.

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  • During a fire drill, representatives from Campus Safety are looking for the following things:
    • All people have evacuated the building
    • All doors and windows are closed
    • All halls, stairwells, fire system components and walkways are clear and accessible
    • Elevators are bypassed in favor of stairs
    • All people have moved at least 50 feet from the building (walls and doors; 50 feet from an entrance is not the same as 50 feet from the building)
    • The building is evacuated in a reasonable amount of time
  • Upon inspection of the building, representatives from Campus Safety will cite the building for the following:
    • More than one open door or window
    • Failure to evacuate without an order to do so by a Campus Safety official
    • Objects in halls or stairwells
    • Any fire hazards that are contrary to Denver Fire Code or University of Denver life safety policies
  • Should a building fail a fire drill, a remediation fire drill will be held within 7 days following a report of deficiencies.

Evacuation

It is important to be familiar with your evacuation routes before a fire. Take note of the two nearest exits to your office, room or workspace. You should always have two ways out of your building. It is natural to use only one way in and out of your building, particularly when you take the elevator to an upper floor. Familiarize yourself with the stairwells and where they lead before an evacuation is necessary.

Remember:

  • Use stairs; DO NOT use elevators
  • Walk; DO NOT run
  • Move 50 feet from the building once outside.
  • There is no such thing as a "false alarm." Evacuation is mandatory and sensible whenever the fire alarm is activated.
  • Failure to evacuate during a fire alarm may result in disciplinary action, fine, injury or death.

Contact

 

Department of Campus Safety

Follow the Department of Campus Safety
Follow the Department of Campus Safety