Annual Security and Fire Safety Report

The Iowa Lakes Housing Team is committed to providing safe code compliant facilities for our students, staff and guests.

The Housing Team has a life safety program that includes working with students and staff and also involves partnering with Iowa Lakes Facilities Management, Community Police, Iowa State Fire Marshal's office and the Community Fire Departments. All of these entities contribute to and play a significant role in the success and implementation of our fire and life safety programs.

Please carefully review the following information:

Emergency Evacuation

In the event that a fire alarm sounds in your building, please don't panic. Calmly do the do the following:

• Exit your room, closing and locking your room door behind you.
• Leave the building immediately. Use the stairs if you are on the upper floor. 
• If there is smoke in the air, keep low. Smoke heat and toxic gases normally rise to the ceiling.
• Once outside, assemble a safe distance from the building (at least 150 feet).
• Make certain that emergency response personnel and equipment have access to enter the building.
• Try and account for students and staff known to have been in the building.
• Provide fire and rescue personnel information and location of the fire.
• Do not re-enter the building until the fire department has declared the building safe.

Emergency Evacuation of Mobility Impaired Persons

Some members of the housing community may need help in evacuating the building. We ask that you provide assistance, to the extent you are able, to get these individuals to a safe location.

• Assist the person by helping them move to the nearest marked exit. 
• If the person's disability prevents them for exiting the building, they should be left in a stairwell. Stairwell landings will provide temporary shelter from fire and smoke.
• Upon exiting the building, immediately inform fire and rescue personnel of the exact location of a non-ambulatory person that was left in a stairwell or student room. Firefighters will assist persons unable to evacuate. 
• Do not re-enter the building until the fire department has declared the building safe.

Emergency Evacuation Maps

Evacuation maps are posted throughout the housing units near entrances and exits. Housing students are expected to learn the location of the exit stairwells and doors and plan more than one exit route.

Fire Alarms and Drills

Alarm pull stations and fire bells or horns are located in hallways and other common areas throughout the Housing Units. A building's fire alarm will sound when an alarm station is pulled. Automatic fire alarms are similar in their procedure for emergency response. When a heat or smoke detector is activated automatically the alarms will sound.  Evacuate the building and call 911. Alarm systems are inspected and tested twice annually by a certified fire alarm inspection company.

Designated rooms in the Housing Units are equipped with assistive devices such as strobe lights for students with a disability or physical impairment. These devices are wired into the fire alarm system and will activate when the building goes into alarm

The Iowa Lakes Housing Team conducts a fire drill at the beginning of each semester for each Housing Unit. Fire drills are announced through postings and at house meetings. The Housing policy handbook states the following:

"You and your guests are required to evacuate the building when a fire alarm is sounded, and reenter the building only when fire department staff gives permission to do so. If you (or your guests) do not evacuate the building when the fire alarm sounds, or if you (or your guests) re-enter before permission has been granted, you will be held accountable through the judicial system."

Fire Equipment Abuse

The fire alarm system, fire extinguishers, fire department standpipes, sprinklers, and exit lights are installed for your protection. Report immediately to the Housing Team (362-7916 Estherville, 852-5210 Emmetsburg, 580-8620 Spencer) any apparent defects in fire safety equipment. Tampering with fire equipment, including the removal of batteries in smoke alarms, the removal of glass box hammers, or tampering with smoke doors and Knox boxes (small boxes attached to the exterior of buildings), is a violation of state law and will lead to college disciplinary action. In the event of any fire extinguisher being used, call maintenance for recharging and checking, and replacing if appropriate.

Fire Extinguishers

Fire extinguishers are located throughout the housing units and are inspected and maintained monthly by Iowa Lakes Maintenance or Housing personnel.

Prohibited Items

Flammable Liquids - Because of the safety hazards they represent, the use or storage of flammable/toxic fluids and chemicals is prohibited.
Candles – For safety reasons, candles (with or without wicks) are not permitted in the housing units.
Open Flames - For safety reasons, open flame devices are not permitted in the housing units.

Appliances and Electrical Cords

• Due to fire and sanitation hazards, space heaters, and sun lamps may not be used in student rooms. 
• No lights, ceiling fans or other electrical appliances are to be hung on ceilings or interior walls. 
• Extension cords with built-in circuit breakers should be used in rooms. The use of extension cords as permanent wiring is not permitted. Multiple receptacle plates that fit into wall outlets are not recommended. 
• Smoke or fog machines may not be used anywhere within the housing units.

Responders to Fire Emergency

Emergency response is provided by the local fire departments.  Call 911 and report the fire location by address and room number.

Smoke and Heat Detectors

Single station smoke detectors are located in every student room. Some of the smoke detectors in student rooms are hard wired into the fire alarm system while others are battery operated. Batteries are changed twice a year (at the start of each semester) by housing or maintenance staff.

Heat and smoke detectors are located throughout all of the housing units. 

Sprinkler Systems

These are inspected annually by a certified building sprinkler inspection company. Students are reminded to not hang items from sprinkler heads in their rooms. The following table illustrates the sprinkler status of the residential buildings:

State Fire Marshal

The Iowa State Fire Marshal's office is the delegated authority for life safety inspections and compliance for the Iowa Lakes Housing. Facility inspections occur annually.  
 

Statistics and Related Information Regarding Fires in Residential Facilities

July 2010 - June 2011
 

Statistics and Related Information Regarding Fires in Residential Facilities

July 2010 - June 2011
 

Fire Extinguishers

State Building Code requires that every campus building contain fire extinguishers. Fire extinguishers are installed in Iowa Lakes facilities to meet regulatory requirements and to allow trained employees to attempt to extinguish small fires.  Facilities Management conducts periodic training sessions.

Policy Statement

Fire extinguishers shall only be used for their intended purpose; to extinguish small fires.
Any extinguisher found to be faulty, discharged or missing must be reported to Housing or EH&S.
In the event of a fire, only trained individuals may attempt to use fire extinguishers. Fire extinguisher training is required on an annual basis.

Emergency Notification, Response and Evacuation

Iowa Lakes Community College is dedicated to providing a safe and secure environment for students, faculty, staff, and visitors. The Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) requires institutions to disclose emergency response policies and evacuation procedures that will be implemented whenever a significant emergency or dangerous situation exists on campus that involves an immediate threat to the health or safety of students, staff or visitors.

Reporting an Emergency

All members of the Iowa Lakes community are urged to report a dangerous situation on campus that involves an immediate threat to the health or safety of students, staff or visitors by calling 911.

Emergency Notification

Should an emergency or dangerous situation pose an immediate threat to the health and safety of campus members, they shall be notified without unreasonable delay, unless local police determine that an immediate notification would place the Iowa Lakes community or a victim at greater risk or would compromise efforts to contain, respond to or mitigate the emergency. It is the responsibility of local police, with the assistance of Iowa Lakes personnel, as necessary, to: 

• Determine the content of any notification 
• Initiate the appropriate notification system 
• Continue to update the Iowa Lakes community during the emergency

Methods of Communication

Iowa Lakes has several systems in place for communicating emergency information to members of the Iowa Lakes community. Any or all of the following methods of emergency notification may be used depending on the type and nature of the emergency: 

• Iowa Lakes Alert 
• College web site 
• Emergency telephone voice recording 
• Signage

Iowa Lakes Alert:

Iowa Lakes Alert is an electronic system for quickly delivering emergency messages to Iowa Lakes Community College students, faculty and staff. Notifications will be sent via landline phones, cell phones, text messages and e-mail. The Iowa Lakes Alert system will be used only for emergencies that pose an immediate danger to the college community. Examples may include, but are not limited to: 

• Bomb threats or other imminent violent threats 
• Building evacuations and lock downs affecting the entire campus 
• Natural disasters
• Weather closures 

College website:

Updated information following a message notifying the campus of an emergency will be found on the college website, available for the college and general communities and media outlets, if warranted. In cases of extreme emergency, the college has the ability to replace the regular website with a website designed for emergency communications only. Regular website functionality can be obtained from a link on the emergency website.

Signage:

A variety of signage may be created to help provide direction in the event of an emergency. Each building on campus is assigned to the campus dean or supervisor, who may be asked to assist in the case of an emergency. Campus deans or supervisors can create signage to provide information and direction to members of our campus community. Occupants of buildings are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the nearest evacuation route.

Evacuation

Each building on campus has a designated evacuation plan in the event of an emergency that would require such action. These plans are posted in each room of each building. Other than fire alarms, Iowa Lakes Deans or supervisors are responsible for determining if the emergency or dangerous situation is such that a building evacuation is necessary and if so, notifying the occupants of the building or buildings of the decision to evacuate. 

Reviewed and posted – September 2011