emergency

Follow these guidelines for how to live safely in your residence, whether it is privately owned, operated by the campus’ Residential Student Services Program (RSSP), or by any campus affiliate. If you live in an off-campus privately owned rental unit or apartment, do not assume your safety is anyone else’s chief concern. It is up to you to know how to escape a fire successfully and evaluate your home for basic fire safety.

California state laws prohibit the tampering with any fire protection devices, such as:

• smoke detectors,
• heat detectors,
• manual pull stations,
• fire alarm horns and strobes,
• fire sprinklers,
• portable fire extinguishers,
• fire hoses
  and any other components of a fire protection system.

Violators can be fined and jailed as per the California Penal Code, Section 148.4.

It is important to have more than one exit from the building. Map out a second exit from the building that can be used in case the main door is made impassible. Check all of the doors which lead to outside the building to make sure that they each open fully and there is a clear path to the street.

• Hallways and stairways should be cleared of any material (bikes, mopeds, flower planters, etc.) that might cause obstructions to evacuation. Hallways and stairways are not the place for storage, not even temporarily.

In California, state laws require smoke detectors/smoke alarms in all dormitory rooms, apartments and dwelling units that are used for sleeping. A smoke detector’s alarm must be audible in the sleeping areas, so detectors should be mounted in each bedroom as well as on the ceilings or walls at points centrally located between the sleeping areas and the rest of the dwelling unit.

Check, Inspect and Maintain Your Smoke Detectors/Smoke Alarms

Smoke detectors, smoke alarms and fire alarm systems must also be inspected, tested, and maintained regularly per state regulations.

Fire safety is everyone’s responsibility and your preparation, awareness, and response to fire can save lives and valuable property. If you attend classes or work on campus, you must follow all fire safety regulations as set by the State, as well as all Campus fire safety rules.

If you witness any armed individual on campus at any time, immediately call UCPD to report the emergency. Use common sense. If hiding or escaping from danger is impossible, you should remain quiet, but we encourage you to DO SOMETHING!

About Fleeing

If it is possible to flee the area safely and avoid danger, do so.
If it is safe to do so, consider:

• Escaping out of the other side of the building.
• Moving to a central and secure area within the building.

Bomb Threat

If the Police Department orders an evacuation, take personal belongings when you leave. Leave doors and windows open; do not turn light switches on or off. Check work area for unfamiliar items if time permits. Do not touch a suspicious item; move away from the object.

Release of Hazardous Materials

If you do not have training on how to handle the material, move away from the site of the hazard to a safe location, then call the UC Police, who will contact Environment, Health & Safety (EH&S). Follow the directions of professional emergency responders.

The Hayward fault passes through the eastern side of campus and geologists estimate that an earthquake on that fault is highly probable within the next 20 years. After any disaster, emergency resources can be quickly overwhelmed, so the campus community must be prepared to be self-sufficient until outside help arrives, perhaps for up to 5 days. Each individual should prepare his or her family, home, and workplace for this eventuality.

The University of California, Berkeley has a plan for communicating with the campus population that will be activated during an emergency. Its Alerting & Warning System (AWS) is a network of sirens and communications outlets that will allow the campus community to find out what to do in the case of a major emergency or disaster.

WarnMe

Read this section for an overview on ways to Prepare, Protect & Respond to an emergency, such as an earthquake or active shooter incident. For extensive information on emergency preparedness, go to the campus’ Office of Emergency Management website.

WarnMe, UC Berkeley’s alerting and warning service, will proactively contact faculty, staff and students at their CalNet Directory email to warn of situations on or near campus that may pose immediate threats. The system will provide urgent and important information and instructions in case of emergency. Campus community members can visit warnme.berkeley.edu to add or change their contact information, specifying whether they would like to be alerted by phone (cell, home, office, TTY) or via text message or e-mail.

9-1-1 is always the number to dial from any phone in an emergency. From any landline phone on campus property, including a pay phone, 9-1-1 will connect immediately to UCPD emergency assistance and will identify the caller’s location. From a cell phone on or near campus, dial (510) 642-3333 for a direct emergency connection to UCPD dispatch.

See more about Emergency and Non-Emergency reporting.

Emergency telephones can be identified by a blue light. Freestanding phone systems, in tall dark columns or yellow phone boxes, are topped with a blue light which remains lit at all times. The campus has installed telephone units on the main campus, outlying parking areas, and other off-campus locations. Most elevators are equipped with emergency telephones on the wall of the elevator cab.