Evacuation FAQ's
Q: What do I do if I am not allowed back into my building for an extended period of time?
If possible, when evacuating bring with you any personal belongings and items that you may need to continue working, return home, or get back into your office. It is impossible to understand the situation fully when the alarm sounds so move quickly, knowing that you may not be able to return to your building for hours or even days.
Q: The alarm isn’t going off on my floor, but a friend from another floor said they are evacuating, what should I do?
With any situation, you need to do what feels best for you. If a friend on another floor is evacuating and you would feel most comfortable doing so as well, please do so calmly.
A handful of campus buildings have fire systems that have been designed for controlled evacuation. This means that the fire alarm will go off on floors impacted by fire, heat, or smoke as well as the floors immediately above and below. This gives the building an opportunity to put out any potential fires, remove the occupants at the greatest risk, and reduce the number of occupants trying to exit through the staircases at once.
Q: I need assistance evacuating due to a short or long term disability, how can I get help?
Reach out to the Fire Prevention Coordinator. They, in collaboration with the Disability Resource Center, can work with you to develop a more personalized evacuation plan that best suits your needs.
Q: What is the Evacuation Assistance Registry?
The Evacuation Assistance Registry is an optional registry for students, faculty, and staff. It compiles information about the work office, residence hall, and class schedule for use by first responders like the PSU Campus Public Safety Office (CPSO) and Portland Fire and Rescue. This registry is intended for use by people with temporary, permanent, short, and long term ADA needs. PSU students can sign up for the registry in myPSU on the 'My Account' page. Employees can sign up for the registry in Banweb on the My Account tab.
Q: How can I know more about what is going on in my building?
Make sure you are signed up to receive construction impact notices for your building. These notices are required to go out for all work being done inside and around PSU buildings. You may also contact EHS with any questions or concerns.
Q: How can my department/office be more prepared for an evacuation?
The Fire Prevention Coordinator, Emergency Management Director, and Environmental Health and Safety team are all available to provide various training for your department of office. Reach out to the Fire Prevention Coordinator if you would like to set up a specialized training for your group.
In addition, make sure there is at least one trained Fire Safety Monitor for your group.
Q: How will I know when it is safe to go back to my office?
When it is safe to return to a building after a fire drill or real world incident, a fire station crew member, Campus Public Safety officer, or a PSU safety official will let you know that the building has been cleared for reentry. Please note that these officials will go to the designated assembly location to make these announcements. If you are somewhere else, you may not get the most up to date information.