Valentine Dining Hall Fire Evacuation Plan

Fire Alarm
Fire Reporting
Evacuation for the Disabled 

In accordance with the requirements of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration  (OSHA) 29 CFR 1910.35 and the Amherst Fire Department, Amherst College has developed an Emergency Action Plan for Hazardous Situations such as fire and medical emergencies on campus.

The size of the building, the number of employees and the presence of customers necessitates a more site-specific emergency evacuation plan for Valentine Dining Hall that includes employee accountability. Complete evacuation during a fire alarm is required, regardless of cause.

Fire Alarm

  1. Every Occupant in the Valentine Dining Hall must evacuate to the exterior of the building by way of the closest emergency exit door.
  2. The Director and/or manager of Valentine and/or their designee should proceed to the front of the building on College Street to meet the Amherst Fire Department, Campus Police and the building custodian.
    • Persons most familiar with the building and the current activities within are the most valuable resource, in case of actual fire.
  3. All Amherst College employees should encourage building occupants to evacuate the building in a safe and orderly fashion through the closest emergency exit.
    • The building elevator must not be used for evacuation for safety reasons.

  4. Preplanned areas to which employees can go during a fire alarm or actual fire emergency shall be established for reasons of accountability.

    • Evacuees, except for those persons meeting with the Amherst Fire Department at the front entrance should not obstruct emergency vehicle or firefighter access.
    • Evacuation points referenced above should be located on the opposite side of the sidewalks and fire lanes.
    • During inclement weather, evacuation to the Orr Rink building should also be considered.

    Examples:5. As stipulated in the Amherst College Emergency Action Plan Policy, the building occupants should not re-enter the facility until the building fire alarm has been silenced and the fire department and/or the Amherst College Campus Police has authorized re-entry.

Fire – Reporting

The following procedures shall be followed when an Amherst College employee discovers a fire in a building, regardless of how large the fire is:

1) Close the door to the room where the fire is. 

  1.  
    1. If the fire is small and you have been trained to use the fire extinguisher, you may attempt to extinguish it.

    2. If you have not been trained to use the fire extinguisher or the fire is too large to handle, EVACUATE the building.

    3. The fire alarm has been silenced, and
    4. The fire or police department has indicated that it is acceptable to re-enter. 
      1. require complete evacuation of the building during a fire alarm
      2. adopt an employee accountability system,
      3. identify person(s) responsible to meet with and assist the Amherst Fire Department and the Amherst College Campus Police at the front entrance, during a fire alarm or fire emergency.
      4. oversee and, when necessary make the appropriate changes to this policy and procedure to insure the safety and well being of the building occupants, and
      5. when appropriate, facilitate a fire drill at Alumni Gym in accordance with the requirements of the local, state and federal regulatory agencies.


2) Activate the closest fire alarm system.

3) Telephone 2111 to report the location of the fire.

4) Extinguish or Evacuate5) Do not re-enter the building, until:

Emergency Evacuation for the Disabled

  1. The evacuation of the building during afire alarm is required, regardless of cause. In accordance with regulatory requirements and Amherst College Policies and Procedures, everyone shall evacuate a building in which a fire alarm is sounding.  Fire alarms include, but are not limited to accidental alarm, false alarm or conditions caused by fire and/or smoke.

    Exception: 
    Persons with disabilities as outlined in the definition section may not be required to evacuate if they are:

    1. Mobility impaired
      1. Located above or below the level of building exit
      2. Located in a building that does not have
        1. "Area of Refuge" or
        2. Horizontal evacuation to another building
    2. Visually impaired
      1. Located above or below the level of building exit.
      2. Located in a building that does not have
        1. "Area of Refuge" or
        2. Horizontal evacuation to another building

For additional information, or to acquire Amherst College Environmental, Health and Safety Policies and Procedures go to http://cms.amherst.edu/offices/enviro_health_safety or contact the Amherst College Campus Police at 542-2291 or Environmental Health and Safety at 542-8189.