Fire

Fire Policy Statement

Rollins College is committed to reducing risk to all students, faculty, staff, and visitors. It is the College’s intent to protect members of the campus community against avoidable and undue risks of injury or death due to fire. It is the policy of the College to notify all employees and students of the elements of this plan and to expect them to read and understand its contents.

Definitions

Fire Safety Policy The Fire Safety policy is composed of a Fire Prevention Plan, an Emergency Action Plan, and Residence Hall Fire Safety Policies document.

Fire Prevention Plan The purpose of this Fire Prevention Plan is to eliminate the causes of fire, prevent loss of life and property by fire, and to comply with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) standard on fire prevention, 29 CFR 1910.39. It provides employees with information and guidelines that will assist them in recognizing, reporting, and controlling fire hazards.

Emergency Action Plan The Emergency Action Plan addresses emergencies reasonably expected in the event of  a fire.

Residence Hall Fire Safety Policies The College has established policies and procedures for students /staff residing in residence halls.

Responsibilities

The Department of Campus Safety is responsible for notifying the campus community of this policy through the Office of Campus Safety web site and for reviewing this policy at least annually and maintaining and updating as necessary.

The Facilities Management Department is responsible for installing, testing, servicing, and maintaining fire alarm, evacuation and suppression equipment and associated signage either inhouse or through contracted services. Facilities Management is further responsible for housing the above listed documents and for having personnel present during all fire drills. Facilities Management is responsible for informing outside contractors (who have been contracted by the Facilities Management department) of this policy and any hazards they may be exposed to.

The Office of Residential Life is responsible for enforcing, communicating and recommending updates for the Residence Hall Fire Safety Policies. Residential Life is further responsible for having personnel present during fire drills occurring in residence halls.

The Department of Campus Safety will alert the Winter Park Fire Department and all other necessary personnel in the event a fire or alarm has been reported to them. Security personnel will respond to all alarms on campus and will, if safe to do so, check the entire building or area to ensure it has been evacuated and to locate the source of the alarm. Campus Safety is further responsible for having personnel present during all fire drills.

All Department Heads, Deans, Directors and Supervisors are responsible for reviewing and enforcing this policy to those they supervise.

All Employees and Students are responsible for familiarizing themselves with and adhering to the elements of this policy. This includes:

  • Knowing your nearest exit and emergency exit route
  • Knowing where your outside assembly area is located
  • Knowing to communicate to Campus Safety or Fire Department personnel if any persons may still be inside.

NOTE: Refer to the Emergency Action Plan for detailed procedures to follow in the event of an actual fire or fire alarm activation.

The Winter Park Fire Department (WPFD) responds to all fire, hazardous material and medical emergency incidents/alarms on campus. WPFD is the only entity who can give approval to reset a fire alarm system once the fire department has been dispatched. WPFD randomly inspects buildings and venues on campus to ensure compliance with state and local fire codes.

Fire Prevention Plan

The Fire Prevention Plan addresses the following requirements:

  • A list of all major fire hazards, potential ignition sources and their control
  • Proper handling and storage procedures for hazardous materials
  • The type of fire protection equipment necessary to control each major hazard
  • Procedures to control accumulations of flammable and combustible waste materials

The name or job title of employees responsible for maintaining equipment to prevent/control sources of ignition or fires and for the control of fuel source hazards and procedures for regular maintenance of safeguards installed on heat-producing equipment to prevent the accidental ignition of combustible material

Major Workplace Fire Hazards, Potential Ignition Sources, and their Control

The following is a list of common fire hazards and prevention strategies:

Fire Hazards/Potential Ignition Sources
Prevention Strategy
Arson Security Systems (R-Card Entry to Res. Halls)
Emergency Phone System
Training to report suspicious activity
Cooking Routine inspection and maintenance of cooking appliancesCooking on balconies–including but not limited to–the use of electric appliances, gas grills and charcoal grills, etc. is prohibited.Gas grills/tanks are not allowed to be used or stored within 10 feet of an occupied building.
Smoking Materials No smoking policy (Human Resources Policy #PPM 800.25)
Open Flames (candles, etc.) Unless approved by EHS, open flames are prohibited on campus
Prohibition of open flames as outlined in the “Guide to Residence Hall Living”
Electrical (wiring, appliances, and equipment) Routine inspection and maintenance program
Use of UL approved equipment
Prohibition of extension cords other than UL approved “surge protecting” types in residence halls
Accumulation of combustible materials Routine inspection of campus facilities
Maintain clear egress and clearance to electrical or heat source
Improper handling and storage of combustible/flammable liquids Bi-annual removal of accumulated hazardous wasteUse of approved flammable liquid storage cabinets
Hazardous waste disposal program (“Small-Quantity Generator” status)
Use of proper bonding and grounding procedures
Halogen lamps No halogen lamps permitted on campus.
Space Heaters No space heaters permitted on campus unless authorized by Facilities Management.
Hot work hazards i.e. cutting, welding, etc Use of hot work permit policy as per (OSHA 29CFR 1910.252)
Residential Areas Monthly safety inspections conducted by Residential Life personnel

Winter Park fire officials as well as insurance inspectors conduct regular fire prevention/protection inspections of all campus facilities. Reports are sent to the appropriate departments for corrective action.

Proper Handling and Storage Procedures for Hazardous Materials

All Flammable Hazardous Materials shall be handled and stored in accordance with College policy:

Fire Protection Equipment/Systems Necessary to Control Fire Hazards

All major buildings are equipped with automatic fire detection and alarm systems which are constantly monitored by a UL approved monitoring service. Most of our residential buildings are further protected with fire sprinkler suppression systems. The following are fire detection, notification, and suppression systems found in most of our campus facilities:

Building fire alarm detection and notification systems

  • Smoke and heat detectors
  • Manually activated pull stations
  • Building fire suppression systems

Sprinkler systems

  • Water (Wet-Pipe Systems)
  • FM-200—Located in Olin Archives and Cornell Museum.
  • Commercial kitchen hood exhaust/suppression systems (foam)

Fire Extinguishers

  • Type ABC: Located throughout campus buildings and areas. (Can be used on any fire except burning metal and chlorine fires.)
  • Portable Halon Extinguisher: Located in areas appropriate for their use.
  • Fire rated doors and fire-resistant barriers

Procedures to Control Accumulations of Flammable and Combustible Waste Materials

The College controls accumulations of flammable and combustible waste materials so that they do not contribute to a fire emergency. The following are housekeeping procedures used to control such accumulations:

  • The College provides routine and comprehensive housekeeping services to all campus facilities.
  • Representatives from the Office of Residential Life conduct periodic safety inspections of residence hall rooms which include noting any excessive accumulations of combustible material.
  • The Department of Campus Safety conducts periodic inspections of all campus facilities and notes any hazardous conditions.
  • College waste generators follow instructions in the Hazardous Waste Management Program located in the Department of Campus Safety and notify the department for the transportation and disposal of hazardous waste accumulations.

General Housekeeping Requirements

  • Keep stairwells, exits and passageways free of obstructions at all times.
  • Keep access to fire protection equipment (pull stations and fire extinguishers) free and clear.
  • Store flammable and combustible liquids in approved storage containers and cabinets.
  • Keep storage/items 18 inches away from sprinkler heads and 24 inches from the ceiling in buildings not equipped with a sprinkler system.
  • Assure fire doors are operating properly, unobstructed, and not propped open.

Personnel Responsible for Maintenance of Equipment and Systems
The Facilities Management department is responsible for maintenance of equipment and systems installed to mitigate or control ignition sources of fires. Facilities Management’s main phone number is 407-646-2255. After hours or for emergencies, call Campus Safety at 407-646-2999 – they can contact Facilities Management employees to respond.

Scott Bitikofer Kirk Hemphill
Director Facilities Management
(407) 646-2255 (407) 646-2255
sbitikofer@rollins.edu khemphill@rollins.edu