Page 56 - College Planning & Management, July/August 2017

TECHNOLOGY ENHANCES FIRE SECURITY
wake and evacuate that many people, even in a well-designed structure, so a loud and centralized alarm system is crucial.” This gives students a way to quickly signal every- one if they see a fire, and it also lets campus security personnel and the local fire depart- ment know so they can respond. “Smoke detectors are also part of the required fire code, and their beeping alarm can save lives, especially in the middle of the night when everyone is sleeping.”
Going beyond such basics, Findley af- firms that integration with access control and other systems should be a goal. He says that while limiting access to the build-
ings on campus to students and approved personnel is a key part of maintaining security, it’s also important that authorities have all the access they need.
“If your fire alarm system is integrated with access control, you’re able to set and trigger events so that if a fire is detected, certain doors are closed and others are unlocked,” he says. “This will ensure that students have a quick way out, and first responders have a quick way in.”
Looking Forward
Hall advocates a high degree of integra- tion with other systems. He says that while some in the fire service want to keep fire protection systems limited to fires, when looking at safety holistically the integration
LET’S WORK TOGETHER. During an emergency, phone and Internet traffic may knock phone systems and websites offline. Develop a strategy to keep the lines of communication online. Most campus safety departments have well-established protocols for alerting first responders, whether the police, fire or EMS. Ideally, a campus should have direct radio com- munication with local police or the 911 center. Develop relationships with your local first responders, and make sure they understand the unique features of your campus... including what mass notification and emergency communication systems you have in place.
of fire alarm capabilities into other safety systems will be essential.
“For many years, the fire service has tied their station alerting systems to other functions such as automatically opening the apparatus bay doors, turning on lights and turning off stoves,” he says. “This same technology can conceivably be applied to many functions on a college campus.”
Hall also advises developing relationships with local fire departments, particularly the fire marshal and fire prevention staff.
“Ensure they understand the unique challenges faced by your campus as well as making sure you understand their needs and concerns,” he says. “Architects and engineers usually have a thorough under- standing of the building codes, but they may lack the understanding of the ‘why’s’ behind the fire code and do not understand why one fire department might apply the fire code differently than the next.” Hall notes that every fire department is differ- ent out of necessity, but notes that local
fire code officials understand how the code affects their operations.
“Byworkingaspartners,youcanhelp
them at times when a fire emergency occurs,” he says. “Likewise, most fire departments are more than willing to help the campus deal with the unique challenges they face.”
Rankin agrees. She says it’s critical for campus leaders to go further than simply implementing new technology. A key is the willingness to engage with stakeholders across the board, including students, faculty, staff, campus security officials and outside agencies such as fire and police departments, as well as to provide proper training.
“The security systems in use on a cam- pus or university are only as strong as the people who use them, and proper training is crucial,” Rankin says.
Hall adds that emergency prepared- ness is the prudent risk management strategy, and the best starting point is at the design stage.
“Designing buildings and campus features with safety as an integral part of the design process is the most cost-effective means to a safer campus,” he says. “The more our systems are designed to meet all of the risks we face, the more likely we are to mitigateorrespondtoanemergency.” CPM
THE OFF-CAMPUS ANGLE
Kelley Stalder, engineer in the State Fire Marshal’s Office, Texas Department of Insur- ance, reports that more than 90 percent of fire fatalities occur in off-campus housing, with the greatest percentage due to smok- ing and intentional acts the second-most common causes. Whether they choose to live on or off campus, educating students on fire safety is vital.
“Spend some time educating your stu- dents on making good decisions,” he says. “All the equipment in the world won’t help if it’s not there.”
56 COLLEGE PLANNING & MANAGEMENT / JULY/AUGUST 2017
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