UMass EHS Shares Fire Safety Awareness Tips for UMass Amherst Faculty and Staff

As part of its monthly program highlighting important emergency preparedness topics to keep the university campus community informed and ready, UMass Amherst Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) has shared a number of practical tips aimed to empower faculty, staff and students to prevent fires and respond effectively should an emergency arise.

The EHS Fire Safety team plays a vital role in protecting the campus community through proactive fire prevention, comprehensive training programs and emergency preparedness efforts. By maintaining essential safety systems such as fire alarms and extinguishers, facilitating hands-on training and supporting building evacuation planning and drills, their work ensures not only compliance with fire regulations but also the everyday safety of faculty, staff, students and facilities.

However, fire safety is a shared responsibility that involves everyone across campus. Whether teaching in a classroom, working in an office, or supporting campus operations behind the scenes, faculty and staff awareness and actions are critical to maintaining a safe environment for all.

As such, EHS asks all faculty and staff observe these fire safety reminders:

• Stay attentive when using appliances: Many offices and labs may have small cooking or heating devices. Always monitor their use closely and ensure they are approved for the environment. Unauthorized appliances like hot plates or toaster ovens should be avoided to reduce fire risk.
• Keep evacuation routes clear: Hallways, stairwells and exit doors must remain free of clutter or obstructions to allow everyone to evacuate quickly and safely.
• Protect safety systems: Never tamper with or disable fire alarms, sprinklers and extinguishers, and immediately report any malfunctions of such devices to EHS.
• Respond immediately to alarms: When a fire alarm sounds, stop what you are doing and evacuate promptly to your designated assembly area. Do not assume it is a drill unless officially announced.
• Candles, incense and open flames are strictly prohibited in all campus buildings.
• Use surge protectors and avoid "daisy chaining" power strips; regularly inspect electrical cords for damage to prevent electrical fires.
• Many fire alarms on campus are preventable with safe everyday practices, therefore vigilance matters.
• Beyond fire safety, develop a personal emergency plan that identifies evacuation routes, key contacts and actions for various situations.

In the event of an emergency, call 911 or UMPD at 413-545-3111 for immediate assistance from first responders who are ready to help at all times.

Additional fire safety tips and information can be found on the EHS website, and further questions may be directed to 413-545-2682 or [email protected].