• Welcome
  • Home
  • Chief's Message
  • Mission Statement
  • Organizational Structure
  • Personnel
  • OCLEA
• Crime Prevention
  • Alcohol Awareness
  • Blue Light Phones
  • Campus and Personal Safety
  • Operation Identification Program
  • Silent Witness Program
  • Sexual Offender Registration Act
• Campus Policies
  • Alcohol/Drugs/Weapons Regulations
  • Sexual Assault Programs
  • Parking Regulations
  • Key Policies
  • Reporting Bias Incidents and Hate Crimes
• Campus Crime Report
  • Annual Campus and Fire Safety Report (PDF)
  • Annual Cooperstown Campus Fire and Fire Safety Report (PDF)
  • Daily Reports
  • University Police 2010 Annual Report
• Services
  • Oneonta State Emergency Squad
  • Bike Patrol
  • P.A.I.R.S.
  • Personal Safety Committee
  • R.A.D.
  • Crime Alerts
• Emergency Management
  • Emergency Response Plan
  • Workplace Violence Training
  • CERT
• Judicial Affairs
• Diversity
  • CME
  • Multicultural Student Affairs
  • Student Disability Services
  • GSRC
  • Reporting Bias Incidents and Hate Crimes
• Student Development
• Site Map

2010 Annual Fire Safety Report for On-Campus Housing

Updated September 22, 2010

Background

This report is prepared in accordance with changes to the Higher Education Opportunity Act (P.L. 110-315) in 2008. Institutions that maintain on-campus student housing facilities must report to the Department of Education and annually publish a fire safety report on campus fire safety practices and standards, including:

• For each on-campus student housing facility, the:

􀂾 Number of fires and the cause of each fire

􀂾 Number of injuries related to a fire that result in treatment at a medical facility

􀂾 Number of deaths related to a fire

􀂾 Value of property damage caused by a fire

• A description of each on-campus student housing facility fire safety system, including the fire

sprinkler system

• The number of regular mandatory supervised fire drills

• Policies or rules on portable electrical appliances, smoking, and open flames (such as

candles)

• Procedures for evacuation

• Policies regarding fire safety education and training programs provided to students, faculty,

and staff

• Plans for future improvements in fire safety, if determined necessary by the institution

Fire Incidents:

All fire incidents are reported to the University Police Department, with further notification to Residential Community Life, Facilities and Safety, and other staff as appropriate.

Appendix A contains the Campus Fire Report form used to notify the Office of Fire Prevention and Control of all fires.

Fire Safety Systems and Planned Improvements

Following is a description of each on-campus student housing facility’s fire safety system with planned improvements, including the fire sprinkler system:

Fire Drills

Consistent with New York Education Law Section 807 - Fire Drills, the College conducts fire drills in residential buildings as follows:

Drills are held at least four (4) times in each year, one (1) of which is held between September first and December first of each year.  At least one (1) drill is held each year during the hours after sunset and before sunrise.  Fire escapes are not present. In buildings where summer sessions are conducted, one drill is held during the first week of such summer session. 

Policies:

Policies and procedures on portable electrical appliances, smoking, open flames (such as candles) and other fire related issues can be found in Appendix B: Policies from the 2009-10 Residence License on Fire Safety.

Evacuation Procedures

Evacuation is required any time a fire alarm sounds, an evacuation announcement is made, or a university official orders the evacuation of a building.  When an evacuation occurs, departments should put their evacuation plan into effect and all persons should report to the designated Evacuation Assembly Area.  After the building has been evacuated, the building cannot be re-entered until University Police gives permission. The complete Emergency Evacuation Procedures and designated Evacuation Sites can be found in Appendix C of this report.

Fire Safety Education and Training

The College’s Emergency Management Coordinator provides annual training for all clerical, custodial, trades, management, food service and professional staff on fire safety, including, but not limited to: fire inspection procedures, common violations, alarm protocols, exit protocols and use of fire extinguishers. Food service personnel are trained in the use of kitchen suppression systems. The campus also conducts quarterly “Functional Exercises”, which may include fire events, and one full-scale drill per year.

The College’s Emergency Management Coordinator provides annual training for all Residence Life staff, including Residence Hall Directors, professional staff, and student Resident Assistants.  New York State Office of Fire Prevention and Control (OFPC) training materials are used as much as possible. Training includes, but is not limited to: fire inspections, common violations, alarm protocols, evacuation protocols and use of fire extinguishers.

Resident student training is conducted by Residence Life staff upon arrival of the students in the fall and spring. Evacuation protocols, fire inspections, common violations and how to use the fire alarm pull stations are topics which are covered. Housing license agreements contain fire safety provisions and students are required to comply.

Incidents involving false alarm “pranks”, unauthorized cooking in rooms and any activity that triggers an alarm condition are dealt with very seriously.  Unauthorized items discovered in routine health and safety room inspections (conducted regularly by Residence Hall Directors and during every break period by Residence Life/Facilities/Custodial teams) are confiscated and turned into the residence hall director and returned to the student at the end of the semester. These violations generally do not lead to formal disciplinary procedures.

The campus is active in training off-campus sororities and fraternities, generally utilizing OFPC training materials.  The campus views off-campus apartments as a responsibility of the jurisdiction having authority (JHA), generally the City of Oneonta. The City recently amended its special use requirements for fraternity and sorority houses to include bi-monthly fire inspections, although the College has indicated it cannot be part of such inspections. Information about apartments listed with the Residential Community Life office are required to have Certificates of Occupancy on file.

The campus has regular inspections by a number of state agencies, including the Office of Fire Prevention and Control, the Department of Labor, the Department of Environmental Conservation, the Department of Health and the Department of Social Services. The campus also sponsored an EPA audit of all facilities in conjunction with a SUNY-wide program.

Appendix A

Appendix B

Policies from the 2009-10 Residence License on Fire Safety

G. STANDARD REGULATIONS

3. The following are prohibited in and around College property:

c. Weapons: possession or keeping of a deadly instrument on campus (including in any vehicle) or use of any object with intent to harm another, is prohibited. This includes, but is not limited to, firearms, explosives, explosive devices, knives, blackjacks, chukka sticks, sling shots, kung fu type weapons, fireworks, firecrackers, CO-2 type firearms, spring-powered firearms, chemical aerosol spray. Violators will be subject to criminal prosecution and\or disciplinary action from the college. The use of pepper aerosol spray for anything other than self-defense purposes is prohibited.

f. Candles, incense, any open flame devices, or fuel of any type, live Christmas trees, smoke bombs.

g. All halogen lamps, space heaters, and any non-UL approved lamps, etc.

h. Extension cords. Surge protectors are permitted, especially ones with circuit breakers, yet cannot be connected to another surge protector to add length to an outlet.

i. All wall tapestries are prohibited.

j. Decorative string lights (holiday lights, rope lights, etc) are permitted ONLY between Thanksgiving and the end of the fall semester.

Fines imposed on the college for fire safety violations will be passed on to all students occupying a bedroom/unit.

6. The student needs to furnish: study lamp, certified fire retardant curtains, rugs, pillow, blankets, bedspread, and other bed linen. Any curtains students wish to bring must be fire retardant. Students must produce a certificate of compliance to their Residence Hall Director before curtains can be used in the residence hall. Fines imposed on the college for fire safety violations will be passed on to the responsible student(s).

7. The student must recognize the College’s concern with energy consumption and limit electrical devices brought to campus. Those that are must operate properly.

a. In Higgins Hall: cooking appliances are permitted EXCEPT appliances with an open coil. Full size refrigerators are provided in the kitchen area of each apartment. Any refrigerator not provided by the College must be limited in size to counter-top height. Sunlamps, air conditioners, and electric blankets are not permitted.

b. In all other Residence Halls: PROHIBITED: all cooking appliances, sunlamps, air conditioners, and electric blankets.

PERMITTED: refrigerators (limited in size to counter-top height), automatic shut-off coffee makers, and microwaves. These items are limited to one per bedroom, and MUST be registered at check-in with the Residence Hall Director.

10. No student can put paneling on room walls. Lofts may be constructed after receiving proper permission and guidelines from the Associate Director of Residence Life.

11. With the exception of Higgins Hall kitchens, residence hall rooms are not designed for the preparation of meals with other than the use of the approved appliances above (G.7.b.); they are not properly ventilated nor do they have proper disposal facilities; they do not meet Board of Health regulations nor State of New York fire codes for such use.

12. Precautions must be taken against fire/life safety:

a. Smoking is not permitted in any residence hall. Smoking is not permitted within 20 feet of any external exit of a residence hall.

b. A student found tampering with fire equipment and/or pulling false alarms is subjected to suspension/dismissal from the college and legal prosecution.

c. Fire drills are compulsory. Everyone must vacate the building during fire drills and alarms. Failure to do so will result in disciplinary action.

Appendix C

Emergency Evacuation Procedures

Terms and Definitions:

Evacuation Assembly Area (EAA)- an outside location at least 50 feet from the building, away from roads and walkways used by emergency vehicles.

Evacuation Site (ES)- a building in close proximity to the evacuated building that will provide protection from the weather or other elements in the case of a prolonged evacuation.  The on-site incident commander, usually a University Police officer will determine if personnel should move from the Evacuation Assembly Area to the Evacuation Site. An Evacuation Site list is attached to this document.

Procedures:

Evacuation is required any time the fire alarm sounds, an evacuation announcement is made, or a university official orders you to evacuate a building to the Evacuation Assembly Area (EAA).  When an evacuation occurs, departments should put their evacuation plan into effect.  After the building has been evacuated, the building cannot be re-entered until University Police gives permission. The silencing of alarms is not the sole indicator that it is safe to re-enter.

Lecturers and Lab Supervisors should notify each class at the beginning of the semester of the designated evacuation plan. The department’s plan should indicate a meeting place outside the building EEA as well as the designated ES.  It is imperative that students know to stay together as a class while at the EAA or the ES. Everyone must be accounted for, and their names should be written down, or checked off an attendance roster. You can not release students from the EAA or ES until University Police have given permission to do so.

General Evacuation Procedures for Academic and Administrative Buildings

• Quickly shutdown any hazardous operations or processes and render them safe.
• Notify others in the area of the alarm if they did not hear it while you are evacuating yourself.
• Exit the room.
• Take jackets or other clothing needed for protection from the weather.
• If possible close windows and doors as you leave, but do not lock the doors.
• If you are away from the class/lab room when the alarm sounds, you should exit the building immediately and not return to the room. You should meet the class at the EEA.

·         Exit the building, walk to the nearest safe exit route (do not run).  Do not use elevators.

·         Move away from the building, report to the class/ labs designated EAA and meet with other persons from the class or lab.  Wait at EAA for directions.

·         Account for faculty, staff and students and write down their names while at the EAA.  Report any missing or trapped people to the emergency responders.  Keep existing groups together.

·         Review with everyone the location of the Evacuation Site, should this have been an instance where you would have been required to go there.

·         Do not reenter the building until University Police gives the "all clear" signal. 

General Evacuation Procedures for Residential Buildings

Residence Hall Directors shall:

• Head toward the cage instructing others to move as calmly and as safely as possible.
• Instruct people not to use the elevators.
• Instruct Residence Hall Advisors to meet at the cage and then move to an assigned exit.
• Meet University Police near the front of the building, get instructions, and move to the EAA and get a report from the RA’s.

Residence Hall Advisors shall:

• Follow the guidelines in the Residence Hall Handbook as to where to meet.
• Move toward the cage, instructing others to move as calmly and as safely as possible to the nearest exit, notifying people as you go.
• Instruct people not to use the elevators. Notify others in the area of the alarm if they did not hear it while you are evacuating yourself.
• Go to your assigned door.
• Assemble the residents in the EAA.
• Review with everyone the location of the Evacuation Site, should this have been an instance where you would have been required to go there.

Evacuation of Persons with Disabilities

Assisting Visually Impaired Persons        

• Announce the type of emergency.
• Offer your arm for guidance.
• Tell the person where you are going, and any obstacles you encounter.
• When you reach safety, ask if further help is needed.

Assisting People with Hearing Limitations

• Turn lights on/off to gain the person’s attention, or indicate directions with gestures, or write a note with evacuation directions.

Assisting People Using Crutches, Canes, or Walkers

• Evacuate these individuals as injured persons.
• Assist and accompany to evacuation site if possible, or use a sturdy chair (or one with wheels) move the person to an enclosed stairwell, notify emergency crew of their location.

If you are unable to leave the building due to a physical disability:

• Go to the nearest stairwell.
• Use a telephone to call University Police 3550, or use other means to advise them of your location. 
• If possible, signal out the window to on-site emergency responders.
• One person may remain with you if they wish to assist you.

The following buildings will be the designated Evacuation Sites (ES) when a prolonged building evacuation occurs as determined by University Police or the Incident Commander.  The Emergency Communication Coordinator (designee) or Residence Hall Director (designee) will be present.  Occupants will be sent to the emergency assembly spaces