Safety Office 1-505-646-3327 (V)
Disclose, Don't Presuppose

Personal safety is primarily your responsibility, although others can help. Faculty and staff will help you with safe evacuation in an emergency. Though you are not required to disclose that you have a disability that makes evacuation difficult, you are encouraged to do so for your safety. Presupposing that people know what your needs may be in an emergency can be hazardous. Faculty and staff you have contact with have a need to know this information for your safety's sake and will not arbitrarily disclose it to anyone other than their supervisor on a need-to-know basis. To be able to react better in an emergency, take the following steps now:

• Identify yourself to your instructors/supervisors.
• Familiarize yourself with the location of areas of refuge and exit routes in building(s)that you frequent.
• Identify the primary instructors/supervisors in the buildings you use.
• Present your class, study, or work schedule to the instructor/supervisor at the beginning of each term.
• Initiate a "buddy" system with a classmate or work mate to assist in case on an emergency.
• Practice evacuation with your "buddy," instructor, supervisor, class- mate, or work mate. Be sure to explain your needs, where you will go, and what you will do in an emergency.
• Know the safest method people can use to assist you and how many people and/or what equipment they need to provide that assistance.
• Carry written emergency and evacuation infor mation if you have co- mmunication difficulties.
• Carry a loud whistle, horn, or similar device to alert people of your location if you become trapped. Familiarize the instructors, supervisors, buddies, work-mates, and classmates with the sound.
• Review your emergency evacuation plan/route, and report any new obstructions.

Under no circumstances should elevators be used to evacuate, unless assisted by the fire department.

In an emergency proceed to the stairwell and wait on the landing until evacuated by the Fire Department. It is advisable to have your buddy with you. Exit stairwells are fire rated and provide a safe area of refuge. Therefore, persons waiting in the stairwell will be quite safe until evacuated.

However,

if you are unable to evacuate a building via the stairwell and no immediate or apparent danger exists, wait adjacent to the stairwell until the main flow of people has passed.

if you are unable to evacuate a building via the stairwell, make your pre- sence known to an in structor, staff member or supervisor in the area.

if no personnel are in the area, go to an area of refuge.

if you are on campus, locate the nearest phone and call 911. Do not leave the telephone or that area unless it is not a place of refuge. Your location will be identified by the telephone you use.

if no telephone is available, ask someone who is evacuating to call 911 and inform emergency evacuation teams of your location.

Evacuation procedures referred to on this site are intended for anyone with a permanent or temporary disability that makes evacuating a building via the stairwell difficult or impossible. If you are such an individual, please contact any of the following offices as soon as you arrive at Doña Ana Branch Community College, New Mexico State University:

Safety 646-3327 (V)
SSD 527-7548 (V) or 527-7647 (TTY)
Employee Benefits 646-1722 (V) or 646-1741 (TTY)