The UCBA annual fire drill was held recently, and surprisingly, all did not go smoothly. Fire drills are to be taken very seriously for many reasons.
For one, the factor of the unknown is a reason in itself to take any fire alarm as a life-threatening situation; many times, one is unable to decipher if the fire alarm is only a drill, or a serious threat to one’s life.
Also, people who don’t vacate the premises in the event of a fire drill may be fined at the discretion of the supervisor.
In the event of a fire alarm, the elevators in all buildings go down to the First Floor and are automatically locked.
Located on the Second and Third floors of the building are emergency res- cue systems with a sign, a speaker, and a button.
When the button is pushed, the rescue system automatically directs a call to the UC Dispatch, alerting them that there is an emergency near the point of the call.
Although Dispatch can tell where you are when you press the button, it doesn’t hurt to reassure them where you are.
If you ever suspect a fire, be sure to take necessary precautions to remain safe.
This includes checking the temperature of doors and door handles before entering a room, staying low if smoke is present, and pulling an alarm if the smoke hasn't already activated the sprinkler systems.