Annual Fire Report

2012 Tennessee Tech Annual Fire Safety Report

 

(The TTU Annual Campus Crime Report is available at http://www.tntech.edu/files/police/2012_ASR_4.pdf)

Tennessee Tech is committed to fostering a safe environment for faculty, staff, and students. This is particularly pronounced in fire protection safety systems for our residential living spaces. The majority (see below) of University owned residential facilities are protected by modern sprinkler systems which have been demonstrated to have a positive effect on fire survivability and property loss. All of these facilities are monitored 24 hours a day by the University Police through emergency notification equipment that not only serves to evacuate personnel during a fire, but also notifies occupants about other hazards that may exist or emergency procedures that need to be followed (i.e. lock down, severe weather sheltering, etc.) All information within this report is in accordance with requirements dictated by 34 CFR 668.49 as established by the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008.

Definitions

Fire: Any instance of open flame or other burning in a place not intended to contain the burning or in an uncontrolled manner. (Examples: trash basket fire in the building, overheated appliance that causes flames, etc. Items not included would be burned popcorn triggering alarms, melted plastic, burns on cabinets resulting from curling iron, etc.)

Fire Drill: A supervised practice of a mandatory evacuation of a building for a fire.

Fire-Related Injury: Any instance in which a person is injured as a result of a fire, including an injury sustained from a natural or accidental cause, while involved in fire control, attempting rescue, or escaping from the dangers of the fire. The term “person” may include students, employees, visitors, firefighters, or any other individuals.

Fire-Related Death: Any instance in which a person—

  1. Is killed as a result of a fire, including death resulting from a natural or accidental cause while involved in fire control, attempting rescue, or escaping from the dangers of a fire; or
  2. Dies within one year of injuries sustained as a result of the fire.

Fire Safety System: Any mechanism or system related to the detection of a fire, the warning resulting from a fire, or the control of a fire. This may include sprinkler systems or other fire extinguishing systems, fire detection devices, stand-alone smoke alarms, devices that alert one to the presence of a fire, such as horns, bells, or strobe lights; smoke-control and reduction mechanisms; and fire doors and walls that reduce the spread of a fire.

Value of Property Damage: The estimated value of the loss of the structure and contents, in terms of the cost of replacement in like kind and quantity. This estimate should include contents damaged by fire, and related damages caused by smoke, water, and overhaul; however, it does not include indirect loss, such as business interruption.

Fire Statistics

Building Name Fire Safety System 2011 Fire Drills # of Recordable Fire(s) Injuries Deaths
2009 2010 2011 2009 2010 2011 2009 2010 2011
Browning-Evins Hall a,b,c 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Cooper-Dunn Hall a,b,c 3 0 0

0

 0 0 0 0 0 0
Crawford Hall a,b,c 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Jobe- Murphy Hall a,b,c 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Maddux-McCord Hall a,b,c 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
MS Cooper- Pinkerton Hall a,b,c 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
New Hall (North) a,b,c

4

 d 0 0 d 0 0 d 0 0
New Hall (South) a,b,c 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Tech Village Apartments b 0, h 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Warf-Ellington Hall a,b,c 3 0, g 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
  1. 24/7 centrally monitored for all building smoke/ heat detection equipment
  2. Individual detectors, strobes, and audible alarms in all sleeping spaces
  3. Automatic wet sprinklers in all sleeping spaces and public areas
  4. Buildings not in service during reporting year
  5. 2011 Fire Descriptions
    1. No Recordable Fires
  6. 2010 Fire Descriptions
    1. No Recordable Fires
  7. 2009 Fire Descriptions
    1. No recordable Fires, On November 22, 2009 Warf Hall was the site of a "dry-ice" type bomb where the chemical contents over-pressurize the container causing the container to explode. While this does not constitute a reportable fire as per· 34 CFR 668.49 it does meet the Tennessee Code for Arson, which is reported in the Annual Security Report http://www.tntech.edu/police/campuscrime/ because a person knowingly intended to cause an explosion to cause property damage without the consent of the owner (TCA 39-14-301). With the exception of response personnel and site cleaning, no costs were incurred.
  8. Apartments are exempted from regular fire drills as prescribed in the National Fire Protection Administration's Life Safety Code. This is due in large part to the lower concentration of individuals using egress routes during an emergency and the fact that units exit to exterior routes instead of into interior hallways.

The campus fire log required by 34 CFR 668.49 can be reviewed 24 hours a day at https://www.tntech.edu/ehs/campus-fire-log/ or by contacting Safety and Environmental Services (x3524) during regular business hours. The fire log contains information related to current year fires.

Future Improvements

In Fall 2010 Tech Village Apartments began renovations which include updating Life Safety equipment to include modern monitoring, detection, and enunciating devices. As per Tennessee Board of Regents policy all Tech Village Apartment renovations will be completed by Fall 2014.

Residential Policies(http://www.tntech.edu/reslife/gslsection2/)

Portable Electrical Appliances

Cooking is permissible in a resident's room with approved microwave oven and other approved cooking appliances.

The following electrical appliances are approved for use in housing:

Smoking

Tennessee Tech's campus became a non-smoking, tobacco-free campus as of January 1, 2010. Students, faculty, staff and all visitors will no longer be allowed to smoke or use any tobacco products in all university buildings, on all university grounds, TTU affiliated off-campus locations and facilities, and all state vehicles. Smoking outdoors on campus will not be allowed; tobacco usage will be permitted only in private vehicles.

Open Flames

Items which require the use of flammable liquids or an open flame to operate, or which produce heat (i.e. Bunsen burners, lighted candles, alcohol burners, incense, and grills) are not allowed in residents' room.

Fire Drills/ Evacuation Procedures

Each residence hall staff member conducts monthly fire drills to acquaint residents with the proper evacuation procedures in case of an actual fire emergency. The staff will inspect the building to ensure all residents have evacuated. Please leave the buildings as quickly as possible, and do not return until told to do so. Failure to leave the premises during a fire drill will result in disciplinary action. Fire drills are conducted to prepare you in case of an emergency. Your cooperation is expected and appreciated.

When you have been alerted by the alarm, shouted warning or the sensation of smoke or fire, please follow these instructions:

  1. If there is smoke in the room, keep low to the floor.
  2. Before passing through any doorway, feel the door. If it is hot, do not open the door.
  3. Before opening a door, brace yourself against the door and open it slightly. If heat or smoke is present, close the door and stay in the room.
  4. If you cannot leave the room, open the window.
  5. To attract the fire department’s attention if you are trapped, wave an object out the window. If there is a phone in your room, call University police and report you are trapped; give the room number and specific location.
  6. If you can leave a room, close all doors behind you as you exit.
  7. Go to the nearest exit or stairwell.
  8. If the nearest exit is blocked by fire, heat, or smoke go to an alternate exit.
  9. If all exits from a floor are blocked, go back to your room, open the window(s), wave something out the window and shout for help.
  10. After evacuating a building, students should proceed to the parking lot area. Emergency apparatus will be maneuvering around the building.
  11. Follow the directions of fire, police and hall personnel.