Environment, Health and Safety Manual – Chapter 04.03: Fire Safety – Reporting Fires

Title

Environment, Health and Safety Manual – Chapter 04.03: Fire Safety – Reporting Fires

Definition

For the purpose of this policy, fire is defined as the accidental ignition of any material or substance that requires the use of a fire extinguisher or other significant effort to extinguish.

Emergency Assistance

Requests for Fire Department assistance should be made by telephoning “911,” the number to be used for all emergencies. In the event a fire occurs on any property, the owner or occupant shall immediately report such fire to the fire department.

UNC Police

The UNC Police Telecommunicators will notify the Environment, Health and Safety Office immediately of fire calls which occur during normal working hours, and on the next business day following incidents that occur at night or weekends. For incidents involving significant property damage, injuries, or a suspected fatality, the following people will be notified immediately:

• Fire Safety Officer
• Environment, Health and Safety Office Director

Departmental Reporting Responsibility

Once the fire has been extinguished, the incident must be reported to the Environment, Health and Safety office, Fire Marshal and the Materials Support Department. Even minor fires that may not require emergency assistance must be reported.

Follow-up Investigation

The Environment, Health and Safety Office investigates all fires to determine unsafe physical conditions and/or human practices that may have contributed to the accident and makes recommendations for the correction of these discrepancies.

Fire Extinguishers

If portable fire extinguishers are used, they must be serviced by the Environment, Health and Safety Office. Fire extinguisher maintenance is provided by the Environment, Health and Safety Office. (See Section 4-7: Portable Fire Extinguishers.)

Insurance

The Materials Support Department coordinates fire insurance claims. (See University Business Manual, Materials Support Department (MSD) Procedure 40: Reporting Building and/or Contents Claims.)

Injuries

If University personnel are injured, a separate report must be filed. (See Environment, Health and Safety Manual, Section 3-2: Reporting Incidents, Personal Injuries, and Near Misses.)

Departmental Follow-up

The University department in which the fire occurs is responsible for the initiation of corrective action for fire safety discrepancies reported in the Fire Report.

Contact Information

Policy Contact

Environment, Health and Safety
1120 Estes Drive
Campus Box #1650
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-1650
Phone: 919-962-5507

Back to Chapter 04.02 – Fire Emergency Procedure

Proceed to Chapter 04.04 – Life Safety: Exitways