St. Mary's College
Department of Public Safety

IF YOU DISCOVER A FIRE

Sound the Alarm!
If you discover or suspect a fire, sound the building fire alarm by activating a pull station. Then leave the building.

Call Public Safety!
Give as much information as possible to the dispatcher

IF YOU HEAR OR SEE AN ALARM 

Leave the Building:

• Try to warn or assist others only if you can do so safely.
• Move away from the building and out of the way of Public Safety and the Fire Department.
• Don't go back into the building until Public Safety or the Fire Department says it is safe to do so.

Fight or Flee:

Fire is the most common type of emergency a business may face. Small fires can often be put out by a well-trained individual with a portable fire extinguisher but, to do this safely, the individual must understand the uses and limitations of a portable fire extinguisher and the hazards associated with fighting fires.

Characteristics of fires that CAN BE extinguished with portable fire extinguishers:

• The fire is limited to the original materials ignited.
• It is contained in a wastebasket or other receptacle.
• The flames are no higher than the fire fighter's head.
• The fire has not depleted the oxygen in the room.
• Heat is being generated but the room temperature is only slightly increased.
• Smoke may be accumulated on the ceiling but visibility is good.
• There is a clear evacuation path behind the fire fighter as he/she uses the extinguisher.

Characteristics of fires that SHOULD NOT be extinguished with portable fire extinguishers:

• The fire involves flammable solvents and has spread over more than 60 square feet.
• It cannot be reached from a standing position.
• It is partially hidden behind a wall or ceiling.
• The fire cannot be fought without respiratory protection.
• The radiated heat is easily felt on exposed skin making it difficult to approach to within 10-15 feet of the fire.
• Smoke is filling the room very quickly decreasing visibility.

Fire, heat or smoke may block the evacuation path.