Emergency Procedures

The safety, security and well-being of our residents is crucial to the success of a rich living-learning environment like Rodin College House.  Therefore, we encourage our residents to actively engage in a sense of shared responsibility to maintain the safety and security of the House.  Becoming familiar with the many services that the Division of Public Safety provides is an integral component of achieving this goal.   In addition, we encourage our residents to practice the following safety and security procedures:  

  1. Program the Campus Police emergency number into your room phone and cell phone.  The emergency number for fire, police, or ambulance is 511 (if you are calling from a campus phone). If you are calling from a cell phone or calling from off-campus, the number is (215) 573-3333.
  2. If you run into an emergency and the situation is urgent and safety or security is an issue, dial 511 or (215) 573-3333 immediately, then go to the Information Center or call (215) 898-5254 to report the situation to the RA/GA on duty. You should also inform your RA/GA of the situation at the first possible opportunity.
  3. Take all fire alarms seriously. This is the most important thing you can do. When you hear an alarm sound, you have no way of knowing whether it’s a false alarm or if you are in real danger of being trapped inside a burning building. Please don’t let yourself become complacent. A high-rise fire is no joke – you must, for your own safety, react to each alarm by going into the stairwell and waiting for word on whether evacuation is necessary.
  4. Familiarize yourself with the locations of the fire alarm pull stations on your floor and learn how to activate them.  If you are not sure how to do this, ask your RA/GA for assistance.
  5. Familiarize yourself with the locations of the emergency exits in the house, as well as the different routes that lead to them.  If you need assistance with this, be sure to ask your RA/GA for information.
  6. Participate in all fire alarm practice drills and shelter-in-place drills.  Three times per semester, the Office of Fire & Occupational safety will conduct emergency preparedness drills in Rodin College House. During these fire and safety drills, the fire alarm will ring, and you are instructed to follow regular evacuation procedures. In the event of a shelter-in-place drill, you should go to the nearest designated shelter area in the building. 
  7. Keep all vents cleared of clutter, e.g., vents on computers, TVs, and electrical appliances.  Especially, do not block air vents on computer monitors, TVs, or VCRs. These electrical appliances may catch fire if overheated.
  8. Never leave hot electrical appliances unattended or plugged in when not in use.  Be very cautious with irons, microwaves, hair dryers, and coffee makers – these electrical appliances may catch fire if overheated.
  9. Do not release cooking smoke into the hallway. If you have smoke in your apartment from cooking – and if you are absolutely certain there is no fire danger – open your apartment windows to get rid of the smoke, not the door to the hall. If you try to clear the smoke by letting it out into the hallway, it will set off the building alarm. However, if there is uncontrolled open flame as a result of cooking, do not attempt to extinguish the fire - alert your roommates, leave your apartment immediately, and pull the fire alarm in the hallway.
  10. Do not smoke cigarettes, pipes, cigars, hookahs or any other paraphernalia that involves inhaling smoke from a burning flame.  Smoking is prohibited in all residential buildings and outdoors within 20 feet of windows and doors.
  11. Do not burn candles, incense or any other item that entails an open flame.  The use of open flame, such as candles, is strictly prohibited.
  12. Never activate the fire alarm under false pretenses.  Pulling a false alarm is a very serious matter. There is a large fine and severe University sanctions imposed on anyone doing this. If you are caught pulling a fire alarm for no reason or tampering with any fire safety equipment, you may be arrested by Philadelphia Police, fined, evicted from Rodin, and prosecuted by the University judicial system and the courts of the City of Philadelphia. This offense is a felony.
  13. Do not discharge a fire extinguisher unless you are extinguishing a fire.  If you discharge a fire extinguisher for any reason, you will be fined $500, in addition to other sanctions.
  14. Do not keep or use a halogen lamp anywhere in Rodin College House.  Halogen lamps are not permitted in any space in this building as they may catch fire if overheated.

 

Fire Safety Procedures

If you discover a fire and the fire alarm hasn’t already gone off, activate the nearest alarm pull station as quickly as you can. Go immediately to the Info Center to inform the staff of the status of the fire, then leave through the front door.

If you hear the fire alarm sound, be sure to do the following:

  1. Close your windows tightly and lock your door. Make sure you take your keys and PennCard with you.
  2. Immediately go into the nearest stairwell and wait there for an announcement on whether you must evacuate the building. If told to evacuate, take the stairwell down and leave by the fire exit. Emergency exits are located at the bottom of each stairwell. Do not leave the building through the front doors, as they must be kept clear for the firemen
  3. Wait for a residential staff member to indicate that you can return to the House.