Evacuation drills set for Sept. 10–20 at the U of C

By Matty Hume, September 7 2018 —

Don’t get too comfortable in your upcoming lectures — University of Calgary community members should be aware that from Sept. 10–20, the school will undergo annual emergency evacuation drills.

The drills often entail building evacuations with the help of volunteer wardens, which take approximately half an hour per drill. According to Bob Maber, the U of C’s director of Emergency Management, the campus community should be familiar with emergency procedures prior to the drills.

“The best way for students to prepare for these drills is to ensure you know the evacuation procedure and emergency equipment in your building, including the locations of the nearest emergency exit and an alternate [exit], fire extinguisher, alarm pull station and your evacuation assembly point to take shelter and receive updates during the emergency,” Maber said in a statement to the Gauntlet.

“Ensuring the safety of students, faculty and staff during an emergency is critical,” he continued. “Building evacuation drills are one way we prepare for emergencies and help create a safe campus environment.”

According to Maber, the evacuation drills are required by the Occupational Health and Safety Code, as well as the Alberta Fire Code.

“[The drills] also provide many other benefits, including the opportunity for emergency response staff and personnel to exercise their roles, responsibilities and evacuation protocols, the reinforcement of evacuation procedures and information including building exits and assembly points and the information collected following the drills helps the Emergency Management department identify areas for improvement and increase the university’s emergency readiness,” Maber said.

If you are already familiar with your own regular on-campus schedule, you can prepare by viewing a detailed schedule of evacuation drills by both building and date here. The official emergency procedures for both the main and Foothills campuses can be found here. A list of assembly points by building is also available online.