The Fire Safety Director begins the drill with an announcement over the public address system.
S/he will then activate the alarms. During the drill all stairs (not only a familiar stair) and all first
floor doors (not only the main entrance doors) may be used to exit the building. Although several
doors are equipped with panic alarm hardware, you are only permitted to exit through these doors
during a drill or actual emergency evacuation of the buildings.
Noted below are instructions which describe how you should respond. The fire warden will be
there to provide directional assistance.
1) Do not panic- remain calm.
Follow the instructions of the Fire Wardens.
2) Close your office door and all other doors behind you.
Then proceed to the nearest stair and exit the building. Do not run and do not use the elevators
as a means to exit the floor!
3) Disabled evacuation assistance
During an evacuation drill, disabled persons should not evacuate the floor. Instead, they should
respond in the following manner. One of the assigned volunteers must notify the Fire Safety
Director by use of the floor warden station. The station is the red box located near the main
elevators (in B building it is located near the exit stair). To operate the station: Open the cover,
lift the handset, and speak after the Fire Safety Director answers. She or he must note the building,
floor, and stair alphabet location where the disabled person would be relocated if it were an actual
emergency.
The volunteer should then show the disabled person the door which leads to this location. There
is no need to enter the stair or attempt to evacuate the person during a drill. Entering the stair
to go to the safe rescue area or to evacuate the floor should only be undertaken when the Fire Safety Director tells you to evacuate the building during a non-drill situation. Finally, the volunteer(s) and the disabled person should use the remainder of the drill time to review the Personal Evacuation Plan.
4) Revised exterior gathering area.
After observing several evacuation drills, the law school's emergency response consultant has
recommended the following change to the evacuation response guideline. The former guideline
directed the community to cross to the sidewalks opposite the law school buildings. However, you
must now meet at a central location not far from the law school facilities. The suggested locations
are sidewalks along West Broadway (one which borders the law school parking lot) and a triangular
Greenspace nearby. Meeting here, as opposed to crossing at the Church Street corners, will further
enhance the safety of the community following an evacuation of the buildings by:
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a)
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eliminating street crossings at the busy vehicular intersections.
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b)
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relocating further away from the law school buildings.
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c)
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identifying one location where the community will meet and can obtain additional safety information or instructions.
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Meet at the
Assembly Area on West Broadway
After you exit the building, you must walk toward and gather along the sidewalks bordering
West Broadway between Worth Street, Leonard Street, and Franklin Street, or the triangular
Greenspace nearby. The sidewalks between these streets (and this Greenspace) will now be
referred to as the "assembly area." One portion of this area is on the same block as the law
school (bordering the parking lot), another is across Leonard Street (one block north of
Worth Street), and additional space is along the triangular Greenspace bordered by
Varick Street (on the west), West Broadway (on the east), and Franklin Street (on the north).
The assembly area is the only location where you should go after you evacuate the building.
So remember, if you are instructed to evacuate the buildings (an emergency evacuation or an
evacuation drill), always gather at an assembly area on West Broadway. Do not stand in front
of the law school buildings, do not cross at the Church Street corners, and do not stand in the
street. Please follow the instructions of the security officers and fire wardens.
5) The security staff will signal when you may return to the building.
An in-depth description of the law school's evacuation plan is contained in the Annual Report
of Campus Security Policies & Procedures under Section III entitled Evacuation Preparedness.
You can access this Report or obtain a hard copy at the literature area opposite the ATM at the
first floor of 53 Worth Street.
Your cooperation during this drill is important because each drill is a test of the evacuation program.
Please forward all comments or questions to the Assistant Vice President for Security & Safety,
George H. Hayes at ghayes@nyls.edu