Fire Safety Tip

Today I am hosting the local fire department to our campus for an in-depth fire tour. This will give them an opportunity to:

• Review facility layout for familiarity (Could you navigate your facility if it was filled with smoke?)
• Introduce new first responders to the facility
• Discuss problems that have arisen during previous calls
• Suggest improvements to the physical plant related to safety

On the tour we will point out unused corridors, attic accesses, fire panels, locked doors, etc. We will review what accesses the department has (they keep keys and proxy cards on their trucks for instant access) and point out areas of recent deficiency (faulty sprinkler heads, parking issues).

Afterwards we are treating the entire department to a fire-alarm chili lunch. Because we are located in a small community, some members of the department already have relationships with our maintenance and environmental staff. Whether the meal conversation turns to fire safety or community politics, firefighters love to eat!

As any Administrator knows, there nothing better than killing two birds with one stone. Not only is this a great proactive safety measure for both parties; it's also a fabulous marketing event. If you've never done this, now is the time. If it's been a long time, now is still the time.