Emergency Evacuation Guidelines

Each University owned, or leased facility must have an emergency evacuation plan/procedure(s) specific to that location.  It is the responsibility of the highest ranking individual user (i.e., dean, vice president, etc.) to develop and post such plan/procedure(s).  For classroom buildings the appropriate dean or the Provost will designate a person for this purpose.  The current listing of individuals responsible for all University owned, or leased facilities, as maintained by the Enterprise Risk Management & Insurance Programs, is attached.

  • Written emergency evacuation procedures should be developed and dated, as well as any future revisions to the procedures.  Copies of the procedures and all revisions should be sent to the Enterprise Risk Management & Insurance Programs who will review and maintain same.
  • Distribute evacuation procedures to the building occupants and post throughout the building.
  • Facilitate necessary training.
  • Conduct a minimum of number of evacuation drills as follows:
    • Resident Halls = 3 per year
    • All other buildings = 1 per year

Note:  Written documentation of each evacuation drill conducted should be sent to the Enterprise Risk Management & Insurance Programs for record keeping purposes.

The following guidelines are provided to assist in the development of emergency evacuation procedures, but each ranking, or designated individual should develop a procedure specific to their building.

  • Appoint floor monitors for each floor in the building.  The number of floor monitors will vary from floor to floor.  However, there should be a monitor assigned to each exit on each floor.  The minimum number of monitors will vary depending on the size of the building.
  • Inform floor monitors of their responsibilities as follows:
    • Learn the location of fire alarm pull stations, fire exits and in-house telephones on the assigned floor.
    • Direct building occupants to the nearest exit in the event of an emergency.
    • Remain at the designated exit until all occupants of the floor have evacuated.
    • Check all areas of the assigned floor to ensure that all occupants have evacuated.
    • Assist any mobility impaired persons to the designated "area(s) of refuge". 
    • Report to the pre-determined assembly area(s) and inform the Building Coordinator of the location of any mobility impaired persons and assist in taking a head count.
    • Be prepared to provide the roster of mobility impaired persons to the responding emergency agency (WSU Police, Fire Department, Police Department, etc.).
  • From the emergency evacuation floor sign for the building (copy attached), identify the pre-determined location(s) that occupants are to go to in the event it is necessary to evacuate the building.  This is identified as the "assembly area" on the floor sign.
  • Identify the area(s) that occupants are to go in the event of other emergency situations (e.g. tornado, severe weather, civil unrest, etc.).  This can also be found on the emergency evacuation sign for the building.
  • Identify any known mobility impaired persons and prepare a dated list with the names and work site of these persons.  This list should be provided to the Building Coordinators, and made available during an emergency.  A copy of the current Building Coordinator roster is attached.
  • From the emergency evacuation sign for the building, identify the "area(s) of refuge" to be used for mobility impaired persons.  Note this is usually a room of fire rated construction, or an enclosed emergency exit stairwell.