Evacuation Plan - Hulston Hall

The purpose of this evacuation plan is to enable occupants in Hulston Hall to be evacuated quickly and with the greatest degree of safety or be directed to a safe zone(s) inside the structure depending on the hazardous condition.

Zones

Each floor will be divided into two (2) zones for quick reference.

Zone/Buddy Teams

Each zone will have two/three employees designated as the "Zone Team" with the responsibility of keeping a reasonably accurate account of occupants in his/her zone to make sure all rooms are vacated, doors are shut, but not locked. Each "Buddy Team" will have two individuals with an alternate appointed to assist "persons with disabilities".

Zone/buddy teams will report to the Building Coordinator/alternates of occupants refusing to leave the building. The Building Coordinator/alternates will report this information to the proper authority.

Building Coordinator/Alternates

It is the job of the Building Coordinator/alternates to inform the Zone/Buddy Team of their duties, via email, memos, etc. All Zone/Buddy Team members will report to the Building Coordinator/alternates.

Fire/Bomb Threats Requiring Evacuation of Building

Evacuation shall be done in a quick and orderly manner under the supervision of the Zone/Buddy Teams, directing occupants to the nearest safe exit, keeping in mind a second means of egress.

Tornadoes

Safe refuge/zone will be found on the Sub-plaza/basement area. Safe refuge/zone areas will be interior rooms, stairwells, corridors, and any areas away from windows, glass wall/partitions.

Persons with Disabilities

Building Coordinator/alternates will coordinate (with the person with disability) the appointment of two individuals and an alternate, to aid the person(s).

Weekend/Evening Procedures

Building Coordinator/alternates will coordinate with the supervisor of weekend/evening staff (pages 6-10).

Building Coordinators/Alternates

Building Coordinators
Law School - Zone 1 Denise Boessen, Alternate
Cheryl Poelling, Alternate
Law Library - Zone 2 Kathy Smith, Building Coordinator
Tamara Guilford Davis, Alternate
Two-Person Zone Teams by Floor & Zone
Sub-plaza/basement (including restrooms & Custodial closets)
Zone 1 Michelle Heck
Jordan Parshall
Zone 2 Jessica Longaker
Tamara Guilford-Davis
1st Floor (including restrooms & Custodial closets)
Zone 1 Lesley Clark
Monique Prince
Zone 2 Scott Weiser
John Dethman
Resa Kerns
Diane Collins (Circulation Desk Security)
2nd Floor (including restrooms & Custodial closets)
Zone 1 Becky Hodill
Laura Coleman
Zone 2 Melissa Fayad
Needra Jackson
Cindy Bassett (check staff lounge & staff offices)
3rd Floor (including restrooms & Custodial closets)
Zone 1 Rafael Gely
Zone 2 Cindy Shearrer
Steve Lambson

Fire/Bomb Threat - Evacuation Plan

When the fire alarm sounds, directed by the Zone Team or proper authority, occupants should evacuate by the following routes. There will be two zones on each floor, Zone 1 north end (Law School) and Zone 2 south end (Law Library) of the building.

Sub-Plaza/basement

Zone 1: Occupants in classrooms will use the northeast stairwell (between classroom 6 & 7) and go to the top of the stairwell landing and out the south exit door. (Occupants in classroom 7 may use the room's south exit, not wheelchair accessible.) Occupants in the student lounge area will use the central stairs and exit west (Alumni Center) side.

Zone 2: Occupants in the Law Review and library areas will use the south stairwell (by freight elevator) up to the loading dock exit to ground level.

1st Floor

Zone 1 and Zone 2: Occupants will use the east and west building entrances/exits.

2nd Floor

Zone 1: Occupants will use the east stairwell down to the first floor and out the northeast (McDonald/Ellis) exit door.

Zone 2: Occupants will use the south stairwell down to the loading dock exit to ground level.

3rd Floor

Zone 1: Occupants will use the east stairwell down to the first floor and out the northeast (McDonald/Ellis) exit door.

Zone 2: Occupants will use the south stairwell down to the loading dock exit to ground level.

Tornado and Hazardous Weather - Inside Building Safety Areas

When tornado/severe weather sirens sound (by the City of Columbia's Emergency Broadcast System) directed by the Zone Team or proper authority, occupants should take the following action.

Remember: During severe weather, always go to an interior room away from windows, glass walls/partitions. Please follow specific instructions given by Zone Teams.

Sub-Plaza/basement

Zone 1: Occupants in classrooms, student offices/lounge area, will be directed by the Zone Team into the law library or south corridor/Law Review office area.

Zone 2: Occupants in Law Review/Journal offices and library, should stay put. These areas are safe refuge during tornado/severe weather.

1st Floor

Zone 1: Occupants will use the west stairwell (by passenger elevator) to the sub-plaza/basement. Occupants will be directed by the Zone Team into the law library or south corridor/Law Review office area.

Zone 2: Occupants will use the central staircase in the library, directed by the Zone Team, to the Sub-plaza/basement of the library.

2nd Floor

Zone 1: Occupants will use the west stairwell (by passenger elevator) down to the sub-plaza/basement area. Occupants will be directed by the Zone Team into the law library or south corridor/Law Review office area.

Zone 2: Occupants will use the central staircase in the library, directed by the Zone Team, to the Sub-plaza/basement of the library.

3rd Floor

Zone 1: Occupants will use the west stairwell (by passenger elevator) down to the sub-plaza/basement area. Occupants will be directed by the Zone Team into the law library or south corridor/Law Review office area. Zone 2: Occupants will use the central staircase in the library, directed by the Zone Team, to the Sub-plaza/basement of the library.

Evacuation Plan for Persons with Disabilities

Self Disclosure

If you have a disability or for another reason you may need special assistance during an emergency, please continue reading and act accordingly.

Law students, faculty and staff requiring special assistance during an emergency should reveal their need to the Building Coordinator/alternates of Zone 1 (Law School) or Zone 2 (Law Library) at the beginning of each semester.

Buddy Plan

Building Coordinator/alternates will confer with the person needing assistance, identify needed accommodations, and appoint two buddies and an alternate to each person needing assistance. The two appointed individuals should be in the student's first class of the day to acknowledge their presence or absence. Law faculty or staff should follow standard office procedures for reporting absences.

Building Coordinator/alternates will meet and inform all individuals (two buddies, their alternate and the person with disability) of the following:

  • The alternate individual will substitute if one of the two appointed individuals is absent on the day an emergency arises.
  • The two appointed individuals and their alternate should know the person, their disability, and how to help during an emergency.
  • The two appointed individuals and their alternate should know the person's daily schedules, and where they routinely study or work.
  • The two appointed individuals and their alternate should keep a schedule in their wallet, purses, backpacks, etc.

Individual Evacuation Procedure

The two appointed individuals and their alternate should practice the technique/procedure of transporting the disabled person to a safe zone.

If an emergency occurs, the two appointed individuals and their alternate should first identify the nature of the emergency, then proceed to inside building assembly points, or to evacuation routes and locations.

See section "Fire/Bomb Threat - Evacuation Plan" and "Tornado and Hazardous Weather - Inside Build Safety Areas."

Weekend/Evening Evacuation Procedures

The Fire "ALARM" Panel Procedures

  1. When the top "ALARM" goes off a fire has been detected by the alarm system. You will:
    hear a sound coming from the alarm panel,
    hear horns blaring,
    and see a red flashing light.

  2. Immediately:
    Make note of the read-out on the alarm panel:
    You should see a listing for either:
    duct detector, fire alarm,
    heat alarm/detector and location.

  3. Instruct everyone in the library to calmly evacuate the buildings by the stairs, over the public address system.

    Say "ATTENTION: There is a fire. This is NOT a drill. Please calmly evacuate the building NOW by any stairs with an exit sign. This is NOT a drill. You MUST leave now."

    (Both elevators should have stopped automatically on the first floor with the doors open to insure that no one is on/stuck in the elevator.)
  4. Call the Computer Lab (882-2825) and alert whoever is working down there to evacuate.
  5. Put the cashbox and copicards in the Reserve Room and lock the room up.
  6. If you're not in immediate danger, call a permanent staff member:
    Tamara (443-8197), John (474-6235), etc. They will arrive as soon as possible.
  7. Direct anyone remaining in the Law School foyer to go outside so the firemen will be able to access the building with ease.
  8. Once outside, look for the police and firemen and introduce yourself as a library employee. Ask them if you can be of any assistance.

    The "ALARM" on this panel will automatically page the Fire Department and the Campus Police who should arrive within three(3) minutes.
    If no one shows up in 5 minutes, call 911.
Only the firemen and police have the knowledge required to authorize "all clears." If anyone asks you for permission to return to the building, please direct them to these attending professionals.

The Trouble "ALARM" Procedures

  1. When the "TROUBLE" alarm goes off:
    you will see a red flashing light and hear
    an annoying, throbbing signal.

    This alarm is activated when there is a short in the system or a smoke detector becomes disengaged.
  2. If this alarm goes off,
    1. Call campus police (882-7201) dispatch and

      VERIFY: that they have received the trouble alarm & someone from the Physical Plant is coming.

      TELL THEM that the System is in trouble, and

      ASK: if a watchman is on duty can they silence the alarm?
    2. If a watch officer it not on duty, it can take up to an hour for a watchman to respond.

      If this is the case, you can call a staff member (Tamara or John who can arrive faster). Otherwise, you'll just have to endure the noise until someone from the Physical Plant arrives.

Severe Weather

When the tornado/severe weather sirens sound (activated by the City of Columbia's Emergency Broadcast System) during the evenings or weekends, the Circulation Library Student Assistants should:
  1. Announce on the public address system and direct everyone in the library to take the staircase down to the sub-plaza.

    Say "ATTENTION: There is a tornado/severe storm warning. This is NOT a drill. Please take refuge in the sub-plaza now. This is NOT a drill. You MUST take refuge now."

  2. Call the computer lab at 882-2825 to inform whoever is on duty.
  3. Retrieve the flashlight and the weather-band radio from the copicard drawer.
  4. PUT the cashbox and copicards in the Reserve Room and lock the room up.
  5. Go to the Law School's lobby. Inform anyone you see in the east courtyard or by the west doors, about the storm warning and suggest they take cover.
  6. Go to the sub-plaza and remain there with the weather-band radio and the flashlight until the storm warning has expired.

Alarm Panel Procedures (description)

If you look at our security panel on the back wall of the Circulation Desk you will notice several kinds of alarms. The two which are active and which we need to be concerned with are the ones that read 1) ALARM and 2) TROUBLE. It is inevitable that these alarms will go off on some weekends and evenings when reference librarians and full time staff members are not on duty. We ourselves never reset these fire alarms but rely on the expertise of the university electricians. If we did silence an alarm, and there was a fire, we could be held responsible.

Points of Emphasis

West Central Exit

In case of fire and after all occupants have been evacuated, the central stairs as well as the east and west (triple) entrance/exit doors, are to be kept clear, for firefighters and other emergency personnel needing access to the Hulston Hall.

The Elevator

The elevator is not to be used by evacuees, but left for firefighters and other emergency personnel.

Assembly Areas

All groups should assemble either on the west (Alumni Center) side or east (court yard) side of the building. Zone Team 1 and Building Coordinator/alternates will meet on west side and Zone Team 2 and Building Coordinator/alternates will meet on east side.

Zone teams will report any individuals refusing to leave the building, immediately to the Building Coordinator/alternates or proper authority.

Securing Work Places

If time permits, work places should be secured before evacuating. Special consideration should be given to locking or taking cash and other valuables.

Decisions

All decisions to evacuate will be made by the Dean(s), Building Coordinator/alternates or proper authority. The "all-clear" to resume normal routines will be made by the proper authority.

Drills

Evacuation drills should be held annually, to practice fire/bomb threats and severe weather emergencies.

Non-Working Hours

Zone 1: Faculty/proper authority will follow evacuation procedures.

Zone 2: Zone team member/reference librarian/proper authority will follow evacuation procedures.