Page 29 - College Planning & Management, June 2019

As code changes, notes Esteban, “there’s always an examination of what was previously required and how, in the case of an emer- gency, the building responded to it.” This helps designers know more about what to expect in the case of an emergency. For example, resi- dence halls didn’t use to require sprinklers; now they do. This means that fire is no longer an issue, but smoke is. So now, moving forward, code will change in order to address managing evacuation through smoke. This cyclical process serves to make buildings more safe.
Products That Can Help
Products and technologies also facilitate smooth evacuation in the case of residence hall emergencies. Fire and smoke alarms, fire suppression systems, proper illumination, special illuminated sig- nals visible with smoke in the room/corridor that are connected to backup power or battery, audible alarms, and evacuation enuncia- tion devices that guide students to specific areas are now common place in new residence halls.
Here are two additional newer products.
1. Elevator smoke curtains. Transparent smoke curtains in
front of elevator doors trap smoke in one place, preventing it from spreading into elevator shafts and providing a way for
firefighters accessing the floor from the elevator to visually in- spect it before proceeding. “In the last few years,” says Esteban, “we have gained a better understanding of how smoke behaves
In planning for emergency evacuations, it is vital to include
plans for building occupants who have disabilities, as these individuals may require assistance with alerting, evacuating, and sheltering in the event of an emergency. Here are three examples of emergency evacua- tion plans that include provisions for assisting disabled individuals.
Emergency Evacuation
University of Connecticut
https://csd.uconn.edu/emergency-evacuation/#
Emergency Evacuation Procedures for Persons with Disabilities
SUNY Geneseo
https://www.geneseo.edu/ehs/evacuation-people-disabilities
Evacuation for Persons with Disabilities
University of Oregon
https://safety.uoregon.edu/evacuation-persons-disabilities
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