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Emergency Response

Fire

In the Event of Fire or Smoke

  • Pull the alarm (if a fire alarm box can be safely reached). If that is not possible, call 911.
  • Evacuate the building using the evacuation procedures listed below.
  • Do not re-enter the building until told to do so by the appropriate authority (Fire, Police, Department of Public Safety, Environmental Health and Safety, or Facilities Services).

General Evacuation Procedures

Everyone must evacuate a building when (a) a fire alarm is sounded, (b) the Department of Public Safety orders an evacuation, or (c) RAVE or MiddAlert, the College’s emergency notification systems, broadcasts a mass alert to evacuate.  

  • Remain calm.
  • Leave the lights on.
  • DO NOT hesitate or try to save valuables.
  • Before opening any door, use the back of your hand to see if it is hot. Also check to see if the doorknob is hot. If either is hot, leave the door closed and stuff towels or clothes in the cracks. Try another exit if one is available.
  • If the door is not hot, open it slowly and be prepared to close it quickly if necessary.
  • In a smoke-filled area, keep low to the floor to escape the smoke.
  • If you encounter smoke in a hall or stairway, consider another exit.
  • If all exits are blocked, return to your room, close the door, and call 911 for help.
  • DO NOT use elevators. Elevators will automatically be recalled to the lobby floor or first floor with doors locked open for use at the discretion of the Fire Department.
  • Once out of the building, move to the designated Muster Points and wait for further instructions.
  • When it is safe, Public Safety, Fire Department, or Police will notify you that it is safe to re-enter the building. No one can re-enter an evacuated building until it is determined to be safe by the emergency service personnel. If the building remains closed and/or unsafe to enter, emergency service personnel will give instructions on how and where to relocate.
  • Community members who are familiar with the evacuation procedures should alert others in the building to follow the same procedures. Swift safe evacuation is your first concern. If others do not heed the warning do not hesitate. Note their location and relay location information to first responders.
  • Community members may need to assist others in exiting the building if this can be done in a safe and timely manner. Notify the Department of Public Safety, the Police, or the Fire Department of any occupants remaining inside who need assistance exiting because of limited mobility, injury, or incapacitation.  

Muster Point locations are predetermined and can be found here. Since you may be away from your office when an emergency occurs, it is important to know the evacuation route for each floor from memory.

Evacuation for Residents Needing Assistance Due to a Disability or Injury  

People who are physically unable to safely evacuate a building should “Defend in Place” and move to a “Defend in Place location” in the building when the alarm sounds. An office with a door and a phone or an enclosed stairway landing, if large enough, can be used for this purpose if there is not an “Area of Safe Refuge” available. Some buildings on campus have designated “Areas of Safe Refuge.” Elevators are not safe for use during fires. If you are evacuating and encounter a person who is not self-evacuating, inform the first arriving fire personnel or Public Safety Officer of that person’s location.  

If you are remaining in the building instead of evacuating:  

  • Call Middlebury College Department of Public Safety 802-443-5911 and/or call 911
    • Report your name, location (room number or area of the building)
    • If planning to go to an emergency exit/stairwell, give the exact location.
    • Report on your situation – What assistance do you require? (e.g., Wheelchair, oxygen, first responder to assist with evacuation, etc.)
    • Ask others as they leave the building to inform emergency responders of your name, location, and assistance needed.  

Information provided to the Disability Resource Center on individuals that may need assistance with evacuating their residence hall is sent to the Department of Public Safety and entered in the fire alarm receiving station. When an alarm comes in, the Telecommunicator will then relay this information to the first responders so they can assist the person with evacuation if needed.