AUGUSTA STATE UNIVERSITY 2009
FIRE SAFETY REPORT FOR CAMPUS HOUSING
According to current Department of Education Guidelines for fire safety, ASU has compiled the following information and statistics relevant to fire safety at ASU.
The following are highlights of the annual reporting requirements:
Statistics concerning the number of:
• Fires and the cause of each:
Five total fire alarm calls:
One grass fire- origin unknown
Four false fire alarms
• Injuries requiring medical care, and/or deaths;
No injuries
• Value of property damage.
No property damage
Information about:
• Description of the fire protection equipment (alarms/sprinklers) in each on-campus housing unit:
There are a total of five (5) buildings with student living space.
There are a total of 162 apartments with 92 4-bedroom apartments and 70 2-bedroom apartments.
Each building as well as each apartment common area and bedroom has an audible alarm which is monitored 24/7 by an alarm monitoring company.
Building 1000-4000 each has 3 breezeways and 3 floors for a total of 9 pull stations per building.
Building 5000 has 2 breezeways and 3 floors for a total of 6 pull stations.
There is a total of 170 fire extinguishers (1 in every apartment) as well as in the maintenance shop and business office.
There is a total of 1620 sprinkler heads on the property.
There are 8 fire hydrants located throughout the property.
All systems are inspected annually by certified inspectors in the state of Georgia. All records are kept on file in the University Village business office.
• Number of regular mandatory supervised fire drills:
One per semester; two conducted in 2009 February 11th and August 13th.
• Policies or rules on fire safety education and training programs provided to students, faculty, and staff:
Although the potential for fire always exists, routine inspections, maintenance and training are effective elements in reducing bodily injury, loss of life, and damage to property.
Faculty, staff, and students should all be knowledgeable of those elements that cause fires and how to eliminate them. All persons should be aware of the fire safety regulations and conditions that have the potential to start a fire such as the use of extension cords or the improper storage of chemicals, paint, cleaning supplies, rags, papers, etc.
Routine inspections and maintenance of fire extinguishers, sprinkler systems, fire hydrants, smoke alarms, emergency call boxes, alarms, and firefighting equipment are essential. At the same time, each facility should have posted evacuation plans, illuminated exit signs, functional emergency lights, self-closing fire doors, and any necessary special fire safety equipment.
Fire extinguisher and fire safety classes are held both at University Village and on main campus by University Police and RCFD.
PROCEDURES TO FOLLOW IN THE EVENT OF A FIRE
Any person seeing or suspecting a fire should pull the nearest fire alarm pull station and call (706) 729-2911 or 911. If the fire is small, such as a wastebasket fire, a reasonable attempt to extinguish the flames should be made. Even though the fire may be completely extinguished, the incident must be reported to University Police and the Augusta Fire Department, as the underlying cause for the fire may be remaining.
FIRE PREVENTION
- Waste must be stored and properly disposed of to prevent the creation of a fire and safety hazard.
- Flammable materials should be stored in a properly labeled flame resistant cabinet.
- Do not overload outlets with multiple outlet cords or multiple plug adapters.
- Keep closets free of old rags, paper or other combustible odds and ends.
- Keep all walkways and stairwells free from obstruction at all times.
FIRE EVACUATION
- Never use elevators to evacuate a burning building.
- Note the Posted Evacuation Routes and follow to the nearest exit.
- Go immediately to the designated assembly area (Rally Point Map) and wait for further instructions.
- Stay clear of emergency response personnel and equipment.
- Do not re-enter the building until emergency response officials have declared that it is safe to do so.
- Emergency fire drills shall be conducted for each building at least once per year.
FIRE CONTAINMENT
- Fire doors shall remain closed unless they are equipped with automatic closing devices.
- Ventilation system controls shall be tested for activation when exposed to smoke or extreme heat.
• Policies related to use of electrical appliances, open flames, smoking, and evacuation procedures:
The following are sections of our current 2009-2010 lease which refer in some way to fire or fire safety:
42. SMOKE DETECTOR: Landlord has installed at least one smoke detector in the Apartment which is in good condition and proper working order at of the beginning of the Lease Term. Tenant agrees not to obstruct or tamper with said detector(s) or otherwise permit the detector(s) to be obstructed or tampered with for any reason whatsoever. Tampering with fire equipment will result in disciplinary action and possible criminal action against the Tenant. Tenant further agrees to test the detector(s) periodically and to report any malfunction promptly to Landlord. Tenant assumes all liability for testing the detector(s), including replacing batteries as needed, and hereby waives and exonerates Landlord from any and all liability resulting from any defective detector(s) which have not been specifically reported by Tenant to Landlord. Tenant can complete a written work order in the Leasing Office to have batteries in any smoke detector replaced by maintenance staff.
6. PORTABLE HEATERS: Tenant shall not store, install or operate, in or about the Apartment, unvented, portable kerosene-fired heaters.
19. FIRE RISK: Tenant shall not store in the Apartment or any storage area any material of any kind or description that is combustible, or would increase the risk of fire.
29. CHARCOAL GRILL: Tenant shall not use or store any charcoal or gas grills or other open flame cooking devises, or do any open cooking on balconies or patios. Tenants cannot store bags of charcoal in their apartment at any time.
33. PROHIBITED ITEMS: Tenant shall not possess or use on the property fireworks, candles, incense, illegal drugs, open flame items, weapons, toy guns, or pets (except for fish in a 20 gallon tank or less).
36. SMOKING: Tenant will comply with the Georgia Smoke free Act of 2005 which strictly prohibits smoking in all enclosed facilities owned, leased or operated by an agency of the state of Georgia effective July 1, 2005. There are no exceptions to the Smoke free Law, not even in Tenant’s Bedroom. University Village will designate smoking areas outside of the building, twenty-five (25) feet from the building entrances.
Smoking in the Apartment or in unauthorized areas is subject to the following:
1st violation written warning and loss of security deposit
2nd violation $50 fine and disciplinary action
3rd violation $100 fine, notification to Guarantee of Lease (GOL), and disciplinary action
4th violation $200 fine and possible eviction from University Village
• Plans for future improvements in fire safety:
N/A
In addition to the above requirements, institutions are required to maintain a log of all fire related incidents involving the campus community (i.e. students, faculty, & staff). The law also prescribes additional fire safety reports be published for the campus community that includes the statistical portion of the annual DOE report.
Fire Log will be maintained in the Department of Public Safety and fire statistics will be included in the 2010 Cleary report.
Useful Web Links:
http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/citizens/college/
http://www.ed.gov
http://www.campusfiresafety.org/
http://www.campus-firewatch.com/
