As part of the university’s safety programs directed by the Department of Public Safety and the Department of Environmental Health and Safety, the International Fire Code (2018) adopted by the state of Utah compels us to conduct an annual fire drill and evacuation exercise. Emergency management staff and the university fire marshal, with support from the Fire Systems group within Facilities Management, conduct this exercise each summer in campus buildings. Housing and health care facilities conduct their exercises separately. These drills are conducted in the summer to reduce the impact on students and faculty in the fall and spring semesters.

For most building occupants, the exercise is “no-notice”—the pull station is activated, the horns and strobes activate and persons within the building follow the protocol to exit the building. Emergency Response Team members aid in the evacuation and make a report to personnel at the nearest Emergency Assembly Point, a specific outdoor area identified for large group assembly. Each building’s drill should take about 15 minutes. Any building that does not participate in the summer exercise will need to be evacuated before Dec. 31 to maintain compliance with the Office of the State Fire Marshal.

As our staff from EHS and Emergency Management reach out to your colleges, departments, and buildings, to invite your ERT staff to participate in our June training sessions and the July exercise, we ask that you encourage and support their participation. This year’s exercise will occur the week of July 10-14. If there are essential operations that should not be disturbed that week, an alternate week of July 17-21, with perhaps later dates, will be offered.

Further information can be found at emergency.utah.edu. If you have specific questions or need assistance in forming your Emergency Response Team, please contact our coordinator, Stormy Sideria, at stormy.sideria@utah.edu or 801-637-3717. Thank you for supporting this important safety activity.