Fire

• alert other occupants and leave the fire area immediately, closing all doors (leave unlocked) behind you
• activate the nearest fire alarm pull station
• exit the building using the nearest emergency exit
• call 911 from a safe location to report the location of the fire (never assume that this has been done)

• do not assume the fire alarm is a drill
• immediately evacuate the building using the nearest emergency exit
• check doors for heat before opening (if hot to the touch, do not open; remain inside and call 911)
• close, but do not lock, all doors behind you as you leave
• do not use the elevators
• if you encounter smoke on your way down the stairs, do not continue; leave the stairway onto the closest available floor area and proceed to an alternate stairway
• never go to the roof; smoke rises (doors to the roof are locked and you could become trapped)
• remember, stay low to the ground if you are in a smoke-filled environment
• once outside, proceed to one of the designated evacuation assembly areas and stand well clear of the building
• await further instructions; do not re-enter the building until approved by a fire official, or the all clear has been given
• stay calm 

• do not assume a fire alarm is a drill
• do not take the elevators
• do not open the door if it is hot; remain inside the room and call 911 for help
• do not lock the doors behind you
• do not go to the roof and stay as closest to the ground level as possible
• do not re-enter the building until the fire official declares the building is safe

A high standard of housekeeping and building maintenance plays a critical role in fire prevention.

Review the following list of specific fire hazards, take precaution and avoid:

• storing combustible material in unapproved spaces such as stairwells or fire escapes
• leaving fire and smoke barrier doors wedged open or left inoperable
• improperly storing flammable gasses and liquids
• disposing of cigarettes carelessly
• improperly disposing oily rags

Emergency stickers contain emergency dialing guidelines for each campus. Email the Occupational Health & Safety Office for these stickers and affix it near your telephone for quick reference.

Locations equipped with a first-stage alert message, audible second-stage fire alarm system respond in two steps following the activation of a fire alarm.

When the fire alarm is activated, the system will announce:

“Attention please. Attention please. The fire safety system has been activated, authorities are investigating the cause. Please listen for further updates.”

If the investigation determines that a fire emergency does not exist, the next announcement will follow:

“Attention, please. Attention, please. The source of the alarm has been identified. No emergency exists. Thank you for your attention and co-operation.”

If the investigation determines there is a fire emergency, and/or there is an immediate need to evacuate, building occupants will see flashing white fire strobes and hear the evacuation tones, followed by the evacuation announcement:

“Attention please. Attention please. The fire safety system has been activated. For your safety, please evacuate the building immediately using the nearest exit. Do not use the elevators and do not re-enter the area.”

• Markham Campus
• Newnham Campus
• Seneca@York Campus SEQ Building

The Seneca@York Campus VDB Building is owned by York University and is equipped with a two-stage audible fire alarm system.

The audible first stage consists of a slow-tone alarm that sounds to alert the building occupants of a possible need for evacuation when a fire alarm is activated. There are no voice announcements associated with the first-stage alarm.

Authorities will investigate the cause of the alarm to determine the need for a full building evacuation. If there is no need to evacuate, the slow-pulse alarm will be cancelled.

If there is an immediate need to evacuate, building occupants will hear the second-stage “fast whooping” alarm. Upon hearing the “fast whooping” alarm, occupants should immediately evacuate the building using the nearest available exit and remain outside the building until authorities declare it safe to re-enter. There are no voice announcements associated with the second-stage alarm.

• Seneca@York Campus VDB Building

Locations equipped with a single-stage fire alarm system respond in the following manner:

When you hear an audible fire alarm:

• immediately evacuate the building (there will be no announcement message)
• once outside, stay a safe distance away from the building and do not re-enter the building until fire officials have given the all clear

• King Campus Garriock Hall, Magna Hall, Animal Health Centre, outbuildings
• Newnham Campus outbuildings (stand-alone)
• Peterborough Campus
• Yorkgate Campus

The following outbuildings operate independently from the rest of Newnham Campus: daycare (ECE), projects bus garage, projects office and the dome*.

All of these buildings have a single-stage fire alarm system.

When you hear an audible fire alarm:

• immediately evacuate the building (there will be no announcement message)
• once outside, stay a safe distance away from the building and do not re-enter the building until fire officials have given the all clear
• if safe to do so, occupants can enter the main building at Newnham Campus (as these buildings are not connected to the rest of Newnham Campus)

*When the dome is erected, there will be no audible tone coming from the dome itself. If required to evacuate the dome, Seneca staff will sound the air horn and direct occupants to the many exits.