Prospective students and prospective employees of Westminster Theological Seminary must be given the exact electronic address of the report and a statement that the seminary will provide a paper copy upon request.
Current students and employees must be given the exact electronic address of the report, a brief description of the report’s contents, and a statement that the seminary will provide a paper copy of the report upon request annually, by October 1 of each year.
Information on On-Campus Housing Facility (Machen Dorm)
Fire log statistics for three most recent calendar years
# of fires and cause of each fire: 0
# of persons who received fire-related injuries that resulted in treatment at a medical facility: n/a
# of deaths related to a fire: n/a
value of property damage caused by fire: n/a
Description of fire safety system
A hard-wired smoke alarm system is serviced and maintained in Machen Hall by Security On Line System, 22 E. Mt. Pleasant, Avenue, Ambler, Pa. It includes standard pull stations, enunciators, strobe lights, smoke detectors, and panel box with connections to Security On Line and Cheltenham Township Fire Department. As of July 2010, it has been upgraded to current codes.
Number of fire drills held during previous calendar year
0
Policies or rules on portable electrical appliances, smoking, and open flames
Portable electrical appliances such as hot plates, microwaves, rice cookers, etc. are not permitted in dorm areas. No open flames (candles, smoking, incense burning, etc.) are allowed in dorm areas. Smoking is not permitted in any seminary building under any circumstances.
Procedures for evacuation
Machen Hall has posted evacuation routes.
- Exit the building immediately. Use the nearest available exit. When exiting a smoke-filled room or building, stay low, crouch down and move quickly. If all exits are blocked, stay by the window and yell for “HELP”! DO NOT go into closets or under desks. If you should catch on fire, STOP, DROP and ROLL, until the fire is out!
- Assemble on the lawn behind Van Til Hall or on the lawn in front of library. Keep away from all buildings and cars. Do not attempt to drive your vehicle. Be aware of any arriving fire and emergency vehicles.
- Remember “RACE,” the acronym for the four essential steps to take if you discover a fire:
- Rescue persons in immediate danger from the room on fire.
- Alarm must be sounded. Dial “911” and pull the closest fire alarm.
- Contain fire by closing all doors in the fire area, once everyone has been removed from the room containing the fire.
- Extinguish small fires, if the rescue, alarm, and contain procedures have been followed and the fire department has not yet arrived. Smother the small fire, use a fire extinguisher, or pour water on it if it is NOT an electrical or grease fire.
Fire safety education and training programs provided to students and employees, including the procedures students and employees should follow in the case of a fire
Annually, after the beginning of the new academic year, Student Affairs will require all dorm residents to attend the fire marshal’s presentation, arranged by the seminary’s safety committee. Continuing residence in the dorm is dependent upon attendance at this presentation.
Students and employees in Machen Hall should following the above-listed procedures for evacuation.
Students and employees should report a Machen Hall fire to the Dean of Students and Ministerial Formation, the Associate Dean, the Coordinator for Student Affairs, or the International Student Advisor, in the Student Affairs Office.
Plans for future improvements in fire safety
Machen Hall had its hard-wired fire alarm system upgraded by Security On Line Systems in July 2010. No further improvements are planned at this time.
Fire Log
The Student Affairs Office will maintain a fire log that records by the date of report fires in Machen Hall reported. Included in the log must be the following for each fire:
Nature of fire
Date of fire
Time of fire
Location of fire
Entries in log, or additions to entries, must be made within two business days of receipt of information. The log for the most recent 60-day period will be open to public inspection during normal business hours in the Student Affairs Office. The Student Affairs Office will make available older portions of the log within two business days of a request for public inspection. The Student Affairs Office will make an annual report to the campus community, by October 1 of each year, on fires recorded in the log by updates to the fire safety report.
