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Policy Contact: Division of Technology and Security

1. Purpose

   Fire alarm systems are an important part of the safety and security of the University campus. This policy and its procedures set forth the University’s requirements for the response, maintenance, and testing of its fire alarm systems on the University campus in conformity with SDBOR policies, University policies, federal and state law, and the University Emergency Management Plan.

2. Definitions
    
   1. Local Alarm/Notification: Notification of a fire or potential fire not received by UPD through the alarm system. This may be the result of a system failure where a fire alarm is activated in the facility and not received at UPD and a building occupant or passerby contacts UPD, or when there is evidence of a fire that has not yet activated the alarm system and a building occupant or passerby notifies UPD.
       
   2. Fire Alarm: The giving, signaling or transmission to any public fire station, or company or to any officer or employee thereof, whether by telephone, spoken word or otherwise, of information to the effect that there is a fire at or near the place indicated by the person giving, signaling or transmitting such information.
       
   3. Fire Code Official: The fire chief or other designated authority charged with the administration and enforcement of the code, or a duly authorized representative.
       
   4. University Fire Official: Authorized by the University President and assigned to the Office of Emergency Management, the University Fire Official, working with the State Fire Marshall, the Brookings Fire Department (“BFD”), the University Office of Facilities and Services, and other offices, ensures coordination of University compliance with applicable fire codes and University fire safety policies and coordination of fire safety training.
       
   5. Trouble Signal: A signal initiated by the fire alarm system or device indicative of a fault in a monitored circuit or component.
       
   6. Supervising Station: A facility that receives signals and at which personnel are in attendance at all times to respond to these signals. At the University, this facility is the UPD Communications Center.
       
   7. Supervisory Service: The service required to monitor performance and the operative condition of fixed suppression systems or other systems for the protection of life and property.
       
   8. Supervisory Signal: A signal received by the UPD Communications Center indicating the need of action in connection with the fire suppression systems or equipment, or the maintenance features of related systems.
      1. Trouble or supervisory alarms do not activate fire horns and strobes and do not require building evacuation.
      2. Fire alarm systems remain operational when a trouble or supervisory alarm is received.
          
   9. Facilities and Services staff members: Representatives of University Facilities and Services responsible for repairing or resetting building fire alarm systems.
       
   10. Alarm Silence or Acknowledgement: The cancellation of the fire horns and strobes within a building.
        
   11. Alarm Reset: The restoral of the fire alarm system to pre-alarm condition.
        
   12. Silent Test: Test of the fire alarm system where horns and strobes are not activated.
        
   13. Live Test: Test of the fire alarm system with the activation of horns and strobes. A live test is a fire drill and requires evacuation of the building.
        
3. Policy
    
   1. The University strives to protect all persons on its premises from the hazards of fire. Specifically, the University endeavors to ensure that all fire detection equipment required to give warning in the event of fire is properly installed, maintained and tested.
       
   2. This policy shall be applied in conformity with the University Emergency Management Plan, University and SDBOR policies, applicable provisions of ARSD 61:15 and its incorporated provisions as well as amendments thereto, and SDCL 34-29B, and any applicable federal rules and regulations.
       
   3. All fire alarms require immediate facility evacuation by all occupants, and re-entry is only allowed when the fire alarm system has been silenced or acknowledged and the horns and strobes de-activated. In most cases the system will not be silenced until the facility has been fully evacuated.
       
   4. Upon activation of a fire alarm signal, employees, students, or staff shall immediately notify emergency services.
       
   5. In the event of an unwanted fire is detected in a building or a fire alarm activates, the building emergency plan shall be implemented.
       
   6. When fire protection system is out of service, the fire department and/or university fire official, or designee, shall immediately be notified; and where required, the building shall be evacuated or a fire watch shall be implemented by the facility owner until the fire alarm has been returned to service.
       
   7. UPD is responsible for an emergency response to all fire alarms and local alarm/ notifications, and a routine response to trouble or supervisory alarms.
       
   8. Only UPD, BFD, and/or the University fire official, or designee, are authorized to silence or acknowledge a fire alarm or trouble or supervisory alarm.
       
   9. Facilities and Services, successor unit, or designee is responsible for testing, maintaining, and resetting fire alarms.
       
   10. State fire officials engaged in fire prevention and inspection may inspect University Facilities pursuant to state law. Any required consents for inspection shall be handled by the Associate Vice President for Facilities and Services, successor, designee, or SDBOR official.
        
4. Procedures
    
   1. Upon receipt of a fire alarm, UPD will make an emergency response to the facility.
      1. If there is an actual fire the UPD Communications Center will immediately notify the Brookings Fire Department and Facilities and Services staff. If the fire has been extinguished and upon investigation of the cause of the fire, UPD, BFD and/or the University Fire Official will silence the alarm. Facilities and Services will be requested to take appropriate action, including resetting the fire alarm.
      2. If it is determined by responding UPD officers that no fire condition exists, the Brookings Fire Department will not be notified and Facilities and Services staff will be notified to take appropriate actions, including resetting the alarm.
          
   2. Upon receipt of a trouble signal or supervisory signal at UPD, an officer will make a routine response to the facility and notify the UPD Communications Center of the reading on the fire panel. The UPD Communications Center will contact the Facilities and Services staff member of the alarm and the information available from the fire panel. Facilities and Services will determine the appropriate Facilities and Services response.
       
   3. If a fire protection system is out of service, the BFD and/or University Fire Official shall immediately be notified, and where required, the building shall be evacuated or a fire watch shall be implemented by the facility owner until the fire alarm has been returned to service.
       
   4. Fire Drills/Fire Alarms System Testing
      1. The Emergency Management Specialist is responsible for coordinating fire drills with building wardens and Facilities and Services staff, writing the after action report and reviewing the report with the building warden. If necessary corrective action will be addressed through training or facility and services maintenance and facility owners will report corrective actions taken to the Emergency Management Specialist.
      2. Facilities and Services personnel are responsible for conducting visual inspections and tests of fire alarm systems in accord with the most recent adopted International Fire Code (“IFC”).
      3. Facilities and Services and the Emergency Management Specialist will also conduct fire drills in academic and administrative buildings per IFC. Facilities and Services is responsible for maintaining records of fire drills and other system tests.
      4. Residential Life and Housing personnel will conduct fire drills in accordance to IFC in on-campus University residential facilities. They are responsible for maintaining records of such drills, system tests and after action reports along with corrective measures for residential facilities.

5. Responsible Administrator

   The Vice President and General Counsel and the Vice President for Technology and Security, or their designees, are responsible for the bi-annual and ad hoc review of this policy and its procedures. The University President is responsible for approval of this policy.

Approved by President on 10/03/2017; Revised, Approved by President 9/13/2021. Revised 02/01/2024 (clerical).

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