The Higher Education Opportunity Act enacted on August 14, 2008, requires institutions that maintain oncampus student housing facilities to publish an annual fire safety report that contains information about campus fire safety practices and standards of the institution. The following report details all information required by this act for CSUF Grand Central Art Center (GCAC).
The following terms are used within this report. Definitions have been obtained from the Higher Education Opportunity Act.
Off-Campus Student Housing / Grand Central Art Center (GCAC) - A student housing facility that is owned or controlled by the institution, or is located on property that is owned or controlled by the institution, and is within a reasonable contiguous area that is operated by the university.
Fire - Any instance of open flame or other burning in a place not intended to contain the burning or in an uncontrolled manner.
Although any fire can be reported by a student to any University official, all students and employees at Grand Central Art Center should contact a Police Dispatcher at 9-1-1 to report all fires, fire related emergencies or smell of smoke. The nearest fire alarm may be activated and building fire-alarm may be activating. Intentional misuse of the 911 phone number and/or fire alarm pull stations or tampering with safety equipment is prohibited and is a serious crime and is subject to criminal charges. Additionally, individuals and/or residential communities may be held financially responsible for charges related to nonemergency fire alarm activation and building evacuation. False alarms are a danger to all. All Grand Central Art Center personnel and student residents need to help in deterring false alarms. The reporting of fires in any GCAC space is required. GCAC staff must all ensure that a University Police Dispatcher is notified for any fire for the purposes of the Annual Fire Safety Report.
COMMUNITY RESPONSE TO A FIRE
Fires in GCAC Building
Remember to R.A.C.E.:
• Remove those in danger.
• Announce: pull alarm and call 911.
• Contain fire by closing doors.
• Extinguish if safe to do so, or evacuate horizontally beyond fire doors or vertically, if necessary. All fires, no matter how small, must be reported. When you call 911, the dispatcher will simultaneously notify the fire department and the police department.
Minor Fire
Small, contained, NOT in danger of spreading or exploding.
• Call 911
• Before opening any door, use the back of hand to see if it is hot – if the door is hot, leave it closed. If the door is not hot, open it slowly and be prepared to close it quickly if necessary.
• If you are familiar with the use of a fire extinguisher, attempt to put out the fire.
• DO NOT use water on an electrical fire.
• DO NOT use water on a burning liquid or a grease fire.
• Never allow the fire to come between you and an exit.
• Watch for smoldering or flare up.
• Notify the professional staff member on duty who will document the incident.
Medium Fire
Small, but in danger of spreading or exploding.
• Call 911
• Before opening any door, use the back of your hand to see if it is hot-if the door is hot, leave it closed. If the door is not hot, open it slowly and be prepared to close it quickly if necessary.
• If possible, without risking your personal safety or the safety of others, contain the spread of the fire with a fire extinguisher.
• Close fire doors and windows.
• Never allow the fire to come between you and an exit.
• Evacuate the building; bring warm (and possibly rain-resistant) clothing and shoes.
• Exit the building quickly, knocking on others’ doors as you go (not waiting for a response, but making residents aware of fire danger). Carry a towel or blanket to protect you from flames and smoke.
• If you see or smell smoke in a hall or stairway, use another exit.
• Proceed to your assigned Emergency Assembly Point. (see map below)
Major Fire
Large, rapidly spreading or totally out of control.
• Call 911
• Evacuate the building immediately. If smoke is thick, it is advisable to crawl close to the floor toward emergency exits.
• Before opening any door, use the back of your hand to see if it is hot – if the door is hot, leave it closed. If the door is not hot, open it slowly and be prepared to close it quickly if necessary.
• Evacuate the building; bring warm (and possibly rain-resistant) clothing and shoes.
• Exit the building quickly, knocking on others’ doors as you go (not waiting for a response, but making residents aware of fire danger), carry a towel or blanket to protect you from flames and smoke.
• Never allow the fire to come between you and an exit. If you see or smell smoke in a hall or stairway, use another exit.
• Close doors behind you to confine the fire. DO NOT lock doors. Note: If a door is already closed and hot to the touch, leave it closed. Stuff towels or clothes at the base of the door to seal any cracks surrounding the door opening. Alert someone to
your location by whatever means available. Open your window only as necessary to avoid smoke or to alert someone to your location.
• Do not attempt to save possessions at the risk of personal injury.
• Proceed to your assigned Emergency Assembly Points. (see map below)
• Follow all directions given to you by emergency response personnel.
• Do not return to the fire or emergency area until you are instructed to do so.
EMERGENCY NOTIFICATIONS FOR FIRE INCIDENTS
In the event of a fire, the fire alarm will notify any building occupants. However, GCAC may follow the same notification policy for fires that it does for criminal incidents. Upon confirmation of a significant emergency, GCAC will, without delay, take into account the safety of the community, determine the content of the notification and initiate a resident text message notification, unless issuing a notification will, in the professional judgment of responsible authorities, compromise efforts to assist a victim or to contain, respond to, or otherwise mitigate the emergency.
Authorized personnel shall determine how much information is appropriate to disseminate at different points in time in consultation with the Chief of Police, Fire Authorities, or designee. The content of each notification, which will include community response instructions if warranted, is incumbent upon the nature of the emergency.
The following authorized personnel have the authority to activate emergency notifications in the event of an emergency/hazardous condition, natural disaster, or other critical incident at GCAC:
• University President
• Vice President for Administration & Finance
• Chief of Police
• Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
• Emergency Manager
• Police Watch Commanders
• University Public Information Officer
• Vice President for Student Affairs
• Senior Associate Vice President for Student Affairs/Dean of Students
• Executive Director, Grand Central Art Center
• Associate Director, Grand Central Art Center
In compliance with fire safety standards, use of multi-plug adapters such as cube adapters, unfused plug strips, extension cords, or any other device not complying with the California Electrical Code are prohibited.
Any tampering with fire detection systems, fire alarms, or fire-fighting equipment is prohibited. This includes alarms, fire extinguishers, fire hoses, heat and smoke detectors, sprinkler systems, fire escapes, smoke/fire doors, exit signs, and audible/visual devices. All students are required to follow fire evacuation procedures. This includes evacuating whenever an alarm is sounded regardless of whether the alarm is related to a scheduled drill or not. Tampering with fire safety equipment or sounding false fire alarms are punishable by up to 6 months in jail and/or a $500.00 fine. Smoke detectors must remain in place and operable at all times.
Burning candles is prohibited in all Housing, Classroom and Engagement facilities, including buildings second floor exterior common patio area. Open flames are only allowed in apartment kitchens. Items that require an open flame to operate (e.g., Bunsen burners; candles, including decorative; oil burners; alcohol burners; lighters; matches) are not allowed in any Housing and Engagement facilities, including buildings second floor exterior common patio area. Burning of incense and herbs is also prohibited in the GCAC building.
Smoking and vaping are prohibited in all interior and exterior Grand Central Art Center areas.
Resident Advisors (RAs) are trained on how to address and react to emergency situations including emergency equipment identification, such as AEDs, fire extinguishers, and building security systems.
Resident Advisors and staff are also advised on how to recognize and best support students who may be in emergency or crisis situations including medical or facilities related situations.
Upgrades to fire safety equipment and installation are reviewed annually by certified contractors, City of Santa Ana, and the County and State Fire Marshal as needed. There are no plans for future improvements during the next year.
• Evacuate the building using the nearest exit or alternate if nearest exit is blocked
• Do not use elevators.
• If you're able, take personal belonging such as your phone, keys, shoes, wallet/purse, and your emergency go-kit.
• If possible, assist persons with disabilities or special needs.
• Follow directions given by GCAC Director or Associate Director, Resident Advisors, emergency officials, or campus officials.
• Do not leave the area without reporting your status to the GCAC Director. Associate Director, or Resident Advisor
• Drop, Cover, and Hold under a table or desk or against an inside wall until the shaking stops
• After shaking stops, check yourself and others for inures and move toward the nearest accessible exit.
• Leave the building and move to your designated evacuation area (see map below)
• Do not use elevators.
• Follow directions given by GCAC Director, Associate Director, Resident Advisors, or other emergency
officials
• Do not leave the area without reporting your status to the GCAC Director. Associate Director, or Resident Advisor
• Evacuate the building using the nearest exit or alternate if nearest exit is blocked
• Do not use elevators.
• Leave the building and move to your designated evacuation area (see map below)
• Follow directions given by GCAC Director, Associate Director, Resident Advisors, or other emergency officials.
• Do not leave the area without reporting your status to the GCAC Director. Associate Director, or Resident Advisor.
• Remain calm. Aid others if necessary.
• Move cautiously and retrieve a flashlight. Proceed to a lighted area or remain comfortable in your apartment.
• Follow directions given by GCAC Director, Associate Director, Resident Advisors, or other emergency officials.
• Do not physically confront the person
• Do not let anyone into the locked building, apartment, classrooms, studios, or office.
• Do not block the person's access to an exit.
• Call 911 or the Santa Ana Police Department at (714) 245-8665. Provide as many detail as possible about the person and their direction of travel.
• Notify GCAC Director, Associate Director, Resident Advisors or other GCAC staff on duty.
• Do not touch or disturb the object.
• Call 911 or the Santa Ana Police Department at (714) 245-8665. Provide as many detail as possible about the person and their direction of travel.
• Notify GCAC Director, Associate Director, Resident Advisors or other GCAC staff on duty.
• Alert others to stay clear of the area.
• If an emergency occurs of if anyone is in danger, call 911 or Santa Ana Police Department at (714) 245-
8665
• Move away from hazardous material to a safe location.
• Notify GCAC Director, Associate Director, Resident Advisors or other GCAC staff on duty.
• Alert others to stay clear of the area.
• Follow directions given by emergency personnel, Alert others to stay clear of the area. GCAC Director, Associate Director, or Resident Advisors.
• Notify emergency personnel or Housing and Residential Engagement staff if you've been exposed or have information about the release.
• Stay in the building. Close and lock windows and doors.
• Move to an interior room or space away from as many windows as possible. It may be necessary to move to a higher or lower floor and into a hallway.
• Do not use elevators.
• Follow directions given by emergency personnel, GCAC Director, Associate Director, or Resident Advisors.
• Remain in the shelter until emergency personnel GCAC Director, Associate Director, or Resident Advisors notify you that it's safe to leave.
• Do not contact parents or friends to come to GCAC to pick you up.
For any questions or concerns, please call the GCAC Director or Associate Director at (714) 567-7233. For assistance after hours, call the RA’s on Duty.
This document will be provided to each resident with their lease agreement prior to move-in, and annually as they remain a resident.
In case of building evacuation, proceed safely to the parking lot located on the southeast corner of Sycamore St. and 1st St.
This document will be provided to each resident with their lease agreement prior to move-in, and annually as they remain a resident.
For purposes of this policy, a resident may be considered a “missing person” if the person’s absence is contrary to their usual pattern of behavior and/or unusual circumstances may have caused the absence. Individuals having reason to believe that a resident has been missing should immediately notify GCAC Director or Associate Director who will attempt to contact the resident. If contact cannot be made with the resident, a welfare check of the apartment will be made by both the Director and Associate Director who will together enter the apartment. If there are signs of forced entry to the apartment or disturbance with the space, Director and Associate Director will not enter the apartment and will immediate contact 911, followed up with contact to Santa Ana Police Department at (714) 245-
8665, and CSUF’s Police Department (CSUF PD) at (657) 278-2515. If the resident is found injured, harmed, in self-danger, or incapacitated in the apartment, immediate contact with 911 will be made, followed up with contact to Santa Ana Police Department at (714) 245-8665, and CSUF’s Police Department (CSUF PD) at (657) 278-2515.
If a CSUF student resident living at GCAC is missing for more than 24 hours, a missing resident report will be made by GCAC’s Director or Associate Director to CSUF PD. The Office of the Dean of Students can also be contacted at (657) 278-3211 during the published office hours of 8:00am to 5:00pm Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. If the missing person report is made to staff or organizations other than CSUF PD, said individual(s) or entity must contact CSUF PD immediately.
Contact Procedures:
Every student who lives at GCAC, regardless of age, will register at least one individual to be a contact for emergency purposes. GCAC residents also have the option to identify a confidential contact (separate from emergency contact) person to be notified within 24 hours when the student has been determined to be missing. GCAC will collect the emergency contact and confidential contact information during the GCAC housing application process. Residents can contact the Associate Director at tgayer@fullerton.edu to update or change their emergency and/or confidential contact information. The emergency or confidential contact person, if identified, will be notified not later than 24 hours after the official missing person’s report has been filed with CSUF PD.
Contact information provided by the student will be registered confidentially. This
a. information will be accessible only to authorized campus officials and will not be disclosed except to law enforcement personnel in furtherance of a missing person investigation. This contact information will be stored in StarRez.
b. If the student is under 18 years of age, and not an emancipated individual, CSUF PD is required to notify a custodial parent or guardian no more than 24 hours after the student is determined missing in addition to any additional contact person designated by the student. Per our policy, we will take a missing person report at any time and then take into consideration all of the related circumstances: Missing person – any person who is reported missing to a law enforcement agency until the person is located or determined to be a voluntarily missing adult. It also includes any child who is missing voluntarily or involuntarily, or under circumstances not conforming to his or her ordinary habits or behavior and who may need assistance.
c. Within 24 hours of the determination that the student is missing, CSUF PD will initiate the On-Campus Housing Missing Student procedures in accordance with the resident’s designation and will notify local law enforcement.
d. GCAC and the Dean of Students Office shall be informed on the progress of any investigation, as much as is legally possible, so that they may ensure members of GCAC housing community are provided with support services which may be necessary (e.g., counseling).
a. Any individual who has information that a student may be a missing person must notify CSUF PD as soon as possible.
b. Once a report is filed with CSUF PD, appropriate departments and individuals on campus should be notified that a student has been reported missing. CSUF PD is responsible for immediate notifications to the Dean of Students Office, Clery Director, and Housing and Residential Engagement. The Dean of Students Office will coordinate additional communications to campus departments and individuals including the Vice President of Student Affairs, Strategic Communications, the Office of the President, and Campus General Counsel. Should circumstances develop into something more serious, additional departments will be notified including but not limited to Student Health Services, Counseling and Psychological Services, and others pending a student’s on-campus affiliations.
c. As appropriate, the Dean of Students will contact the student’s professors and advisors.
d. No later than 24 hours after determining that a student is missing, CSUF PD will notify the Missing Persons Contact (for students 18 and over) and the parent/guardian (for students under the age of 18 and not emancipated) that the resident is believed to be missing.
e. All formal statements concerning a missing student/resident should be directed to Strategic Communications, including any type of media request.
This document will be provided to each resident with their lease agreement prior to move-in, and annually as they remain a resident.