Buildings on both campuses have a notification system for emergency evacuation. In most buildings this is a fire alarm system. The systems are different depending on the building. Some systems sound only an alarm while others give voice evacuation directions or announcements about the situation. At all times, when the alarm system sounds and or voice command for evacuation is sounded everyone must leave the building or move to a safe location.

A situation may exist where the building may need to be evacuated without activating an alarm. In this event, the building evacuation plan should be structured so it does not rely on an alarm to notify occupants of the need to leave. It is necessary to have a phone tree and identified "searchers" or "wardens" to notify occupants of the need to evacuate.

It is required of all departments to have an evacuation plan, which explains the emergency systems and evacuation procedures. This document is to be readily available and provide information such as emergency telephone numbers; evacuation personnel duties; designated meeting points; and building information such as whether the building has an automatic sprinkler system, smoke detection, and/or manual alarm pull stations. There is a designated building manager for all buildings on campus who serves as the key contact during an emergency. In high hazard buildings where several departments co-exist, there are Safety Committees to ensure that all departments work together during an emergency evacuation.

Below are template evacuation plans and evacuation personnel duties. These should be customized to the individual building and department. For assistance or any questions about the fire safety systems in the buildings call or e-mail Risk Management.

Evacuation drills should be conducted annually to ensure that all elements of the plan could be conducted. The Office of Risk Management will coordinate and evaluate the evacuation drill per request. Call 491-3266 or e-mail: j-perkins@northwestern.edu .