Security director explains safe refuge signs
By David Massey, News Writing Student
The safe refuge signs on the stairwell doors in the second, third and fourth floors of campus buildings may require interpretation for some, since the signs lack instructions in words.
The signs show a wheelchair in one block and flames in another — but no words.
Ike Sloas, Safety and Security director, explained the meaning of the signs.
The safe refuge areas are for “fire only” incidents, as indicated by the fire emblem on the sign that is coupled with the disabilities sign, Sloas said.
If a fire occurs above the ground floor, the elevators will be shut down, making it impossible for a person in a wheelchair to descend from a higher level, he said.
In case of a fire, professors with any students that use a wheelchair or have challenges with mobility will direct the students to the designated stairwell areas on the second floor or above.
The professor will then notify the school’s dispatcher that a student is being directed to the area.
“From the time the fire alarm rings, [the Safety and Security Department officers] come into it,” Sloas said.
He said the officers will respond to the call of a student in a refuge area within minutes.
If a person is on the first floor when a fire alarm sounds that person should exit the building.
“There is no sense in [sheltering] on the first floor,” Sloas said. “If you are on the first floor, just evacuate.”
There are eight fire refuge areas in campus buildings, four in the Main Building, two in the Arts and Humanities building, and two inside the Library.
If college officers must evacuate a person from a refuge area, they will use an Evac-U-Treck machine.
“These machines are basically a seat on top of treads similar to [treads] seen on Army tanks,” Sloas said.
The machines can maneuver up and down stairs to safely move a person to the ground floor. The school owns five of these machines, which cost $500 each.
“The closest fire station is only 2.3 miles away from campus so their response time is typically five minutes or less,” Sloas said.
If a person is seeking shelter in a refuge stairwell, that person should know that these areas can withstand fire under extreme conditions.
They are “fire rated,” able to withstand an hour of fire, Sloas said.
This gives a window of time for emergency personnel to respond so individuals waiting in the stairwell areas should remain calm and be patient until help arrives, he said.
Sloas said OCCC follows National Fire Protection Agency codes in conjunction with local fire departments, as well as the ADA Standards for Accessible Design which checks on wheelchair access to buildings as well as regulates fire alarms in buildings.
