Fall 2021 building evacuation drills

Dear students, faculty, and staff,

To meet state and federal regulations, the OVCAS Environmental Health and Safety Office (EHSO), in coordination with UIC Police and Facilities Management, will conduct evacuation drills for UIC buildings beginning Wednesday, September 8 through Friday, September 10. Drills will be held between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. each day.

The hospital, medical clinics and UIC School of Law will not participate, nor will buildings that already have a scheduled evacuation drill for the current year. All other buildings will have an evacuation drill on one of the above dates.

A building evacuation goes into effect in the event of a fire or other emergency that requires all occupants to leave the building to ensure their safety. Please review the following information regarding building evacuations and the additional COVID-19 considerations during an evacuation.

Please refer to your building-specific Emergency Action Plan and Emergency Evacuation Route maps to see the evacuation routes and designated Evacuation Assembly Area where building occupants should go immediately after leaving the building after an evacuation due to fire or other emergency. Evacuation maps are posted by the main elevator lobby of each floor in all buildings and in the main lobby of buildings that do not have an elevator. In addition, please review the building evacuation guidelines below:

Building Evacuation Guidelines

• Identify the two nearest exits for your area which are shown on the Emergency Evacuation Route maps. It’s important to know two exit paths should one be blocked by smoke, fire or other hazards.
• Identify the location of the nearest fire alarm pull station if they exist in your building. This is the best way to alert others about a fire.
• Follow instructions of emergency services personnel, including UIC Police, Chicago Fire Department, EHSO, or other responding agencies.
• When the fire alarm is activated, leave immediately through the nearest and safest exit. Do not attempt to use elevators.
• If you’re not able to evacuate without assistance, proceed to the nearest stairwell and wait there to be evacuated by a member of the Chicago Fire Department. Once you are in the stairwell, use a cell phone to call UIC Police at (312) 355-5555. Be prepared to tell them your exact location, name, cell phone number, and any other information needed to assist with your evacuation.
• As you evacuate, close, but do not lock, all doors to slow the spread of smoke and fire. Once outside, move to the building’s Evacuation Assembly Area.
• Once safely outside, call UIC Police at (312) 355-5555 to alert them about the activated fire alarm. Be prepared to tell them the name and address of the building.
• DO NOT re-enter the building until authorized emergency personnel give the “all clear” signal.

It is very important to treat each fire alarm as a true emergency. It is safer to evacuate and find out there is no emergency than to remain in the building and find out there is one.

COVID-19 Considerations During an Evacuation

• If safe to do so, grab your face mask prior to evacuating
• UIC requires mask use while indoors, including in classrooms, except when alone in a private office or personal residence room, or when an individual has a medical condition, disability or other reason that prevents them from safely wearing a mask
• Building evacuees at the Evacuation Assembly Area are required to wear a mask due to the large number of people in close proximity to one another at the same time
• Once an “All-Clear” announcement is made, be patient while you re-enter the building

To learn more about your Emergency Action Plan, we encourage you to review the short online training course “UIC Emergency Action Plan Training.” If you would like to help the campus community by serving as a Floor Evacuation Monitor, please complete the online training “Emergency Evacuation Assistance Training for Floor Monitors.”

The building-specific Emergency Action Plans, Emergency Evacuation Route maps and online training courses can all be found on the Environmental Health and Safety website.

Emergency Action Plans and Emergency Evacuation Route Maps: https://ehso.uic.edu/fire-safety/building-specific-emergency-action-plans/

Online Training Courses: https://ehso.uic.edu/training/

If you have any questions regarding evacuation procedures, please contact UIC Fire Marshal Mark Gaunky.

Sincerely,

John Coronado
Vice Chancellor for Administrative Services

For more information, please contact:
Sherry Krsticevic
sherylk@uic.edu