1. If you see smoke or fire, activate the nearest fire alarm or pull station.
    
2. From a safe location, call 9-1-1. Provide them with the following information:
    
   • Your name
   • Building name
   • Address
   • Floor
   • Location
     
   • Note - ALL fires must be reported.
     
     
3. Upon activation of all fire alarms, leave the building following General Evacuation Procedures. Alert other occupants to evacuate. Use stairs, not elevators.
    
4. In addition to standard evacuation procedures, follow the specific Fire Evacuation Instructions below: 

• Don't use a fire extinguisher unless you have first called 9-1-1. Portable fire extinguisher use allowed only if:
   
• User is properly trained.
• Fire is small, contained, and in early stage (e.g., wastebasket, few rags, etc.).    

• Before opening a door, touch the doorknob with the back of your hand to feel if it is warm or hot. If it is warm or hot, DO NOT OPEN THE DOOR, USE ALTERNATE EXIT ROUTE.
• If you encounter smoke, stay low. Smoke and gas kill more than fire. Place a towel or cloth over your head and face. Breathe through the towel by taking short breaths through your nose.
• Wear something that can be easily discarded if it catches on fire such as a blanket. Should your clothes catch fire, stop, drop and roll to put it out.
   
• If the doorknob is not hot, ensure all room windows are closed, brace yourself against the door and open it slightly to check for presence of smoke or fire. If the hallway appears clear, exit building. If time permits, close windows and doors behind you. Follow the same procedure through all doors as you exit the building. If all exits are blocked, go to the closest safe room/area of rescue and follow the next instruction.
   
• If all paths are blocked by fire or heavy smoke and height of building floor does not allow for window exit, check outside window for presence of rescue crews and signal them by hanging an object out the window (e.g., sheet, jacket) or by other means. Keep doors closed between you and the fire. If possible, call 9-1-1 and inform dispatcher of your situation and exact location. Open windows only when necessary. Seal cracks around the door and at other places where smoke appears to be entering with wet towels, blankets, or similar materials.
   
• Upon exiting building, notify Fire Department of source of fire or explosion or other pertinent information.    

Do not reenter the building until authorized by the fire department.

*REPORT ALL FIRE EXTINGUISHER USE (at the Main Campus) to Facility Services at 715-346-4219.  

**ADDITIONAL POST FIRE REPORT - COUNTY  PUBLIC HEALTH REQUIRES LICENSED KITCHENS TO REPORT ALL KITCHEN FIRES TO THE COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT. Call Risk Management at 715-346-2320 to complete this process.**

***Any Property Damage - complete Property Loss form and submit to Risk Management within 24 hours. Any insurance claims follow the Property Loss Insurance Claim Process and Restoration Services process.

Can all campus buildings be tested at once? No. 

Can you tell me what time my building will have the drill?

Only if you are in the first building on the list to be tested.  Fire drills are conducted starting at a certain time and go building by building from there.  Each building takes an unknown amount of time to conduct the drill because it all depends on how quickly people evacuate, the size of the building (i.e., number of floors), any issues encountered when running the drill, etc.

Why do we hold fire drills?

Per UW System Campus Fire Exit Drill Policy, "all educational buildings on campus must hold one fire drill per year ..." To ensure effective campus evacuations it is necessary to conduct fire drills while classes are in session.

What do I do when the fire alarm sounds?

1. Immediately evacuate building using nearest uninvolved exit.  DO NOT USE ELEVATORS. Close doors and windows as you leave. Take your personal property.
   
   
2. Wheelchair users and people unable to exit via stairs should enter an enclosed stairwell and close the door. If possible, if you are at the Main campus, call 715-346-3456 to alert University Police and Security Services of your location. If this were an actual fire, firefighters would check the stairwells of the building and evacuate you.
   
   
3. If you are teaching a class when the fire alarm sounds, instruct students to evacuate the building using the nearest fire exit. Remind students to take all personal property with them.  Ensure all students in your class have evacuated before exiting. 
   
   
4. Do not return to building until a police or security officer gives the all clear.  Cessation of the fire alarm does not indicate an “All Clear."

​Campus Emergency Evacuation Maps

REPORT ALL ON-CAMPUS FIRE EXTINGUISHER USE to Facility Services, 715-346-4219 

Campus Fire Exit Drills Policies and Procedures (University of Wisconsin System)