Here's a quick summary of what you should do if you're working in the library during an emergency that requires you to evacuate.
- If the fire alarm goes off in the library, encourage students to exit through the fire exits at the corners of the library. There is one fire exit located behind the last row of shelves in the quiet study area, and another at the end of the aisle with the librarians' offices.
- If you are working after 4PM or on the weekend, we will need your help to clear the library. When the fire alarm goes off, the supervisor will ask you to walk out through the exit at the librarians' offices end of the library (behind you as you sit at the circulation desk). As you walk, tell anyone studying that they need to get up and leave through the fire exit at the end of the library. If someone is refusing to leave, tell your supervisor if possible, or tell a member of the security staff or a firefighter after you leave the building. Make sure the study rooms and the corner conference room are empty.
Alternately, your supervisor may ask you to stand outside the main library entrance and encourage people to exit through the White Building. If you notice the door alarm going off, encourage students to leave reserve and reference materials behind, but in an emergency getting people out of the library is much more important than keeping books in. - If students exit through the front library doors, they should cross over to the White Building and exit from there -- no one should use the elevators, and the main Matricaria lobby stairs should be kept clear if possible.
- Upon exiting the building, proceed to the Boston Latin parking lot on Palace Road or the Brigham and Women's Lying-In Hospital parking lot on Longwood Ave. Do not stand around the building and/or block the entrances, exits, and street. Do not re-enter the building until the Fire Department issues an all-clear.
A few more helpful tips:
- Stay calm! Although it is part of your job to help clear the library in case of an emergency, we do not expect you to do anything that would put you at risk. If you are concerned that you might not be able to execute the emergency procedures detailed above, talk to Kyle or Marcie and we will find a way to accommodate you.
- Know your safety equipment -- there are three fire extinguishers and two pull boxes (where you can manually set off the fire alarm) in the library, and two emergency exits. Learn where they are and, if possible, how to use them (MCPHS runs occasional classes on how to use fire extinguishers -- learn important safety information while making a big mess and lots of noise!).
- Learn what the fire alarm sounds like. Fire alarms in the White Building are audible in the library, but we don't need to evacuate for these alarms (in fact, usually we close the library doors so that the alarm doesn't disturb studiers). If the library needs to be evacuated, horns and strobe lights in the library will activate, and a loudspeaker will say something (I've never actually heard the loudspeaker, so unfortunately I can't tell you what it has to say).
Marcie and Kyle will be giving "Safety Tours" of the library over the course of the next week or so. Make sure you get one! We are always happy to show you all the library's exciting safety landmarks.
Stay tuned next semester for info on how to deal with non-evacuation emergencies, from fainting students to leaking ceilings!
