Fires can impact personal safety and property and cause long-term disruptions to research, teaching, and campus operations.
VIU follows the BC Fire Code and health and safety laws. This means the university must have clear emergency procedures and fire safety plans for all buildings. It’s also important that all faculty, staff, and students learn how to prevent fires and respond in an emergency.
Fire safety is everyone’s responsibility. Being ready and knowing how to act quickly and safely during a fire or evacuation can save lives and keep our campus community safe.
Fire safety program
VIU conducts fire drills to maintain compliance with relevant laws and to train the campus community. Drills help familiarize everyone with the sound of the fire alarms, evacuation procedures, and designated evacuation points.
Usually, drills include sounding the alarm and evacuating the building to practice a real emergency. They are planned together with different faculties and departments to make sure many people take part and are ready.
After each drill, the Office of Emergency Management reviews how it went, suggests ways to improve, and keeps official records of all fire drills.
Remember, you must leave your building anytime you hear alarm bells or voice instructions to evacuate, it could be a real emergency. Go to the the nearest evacuation point, and wait for further instructions.
Every building on VIU’s campus must have a unique Fire Safety Plan. These plans are reviewed and approved by the Nanaimo Fire Department. They include detailed emergency procedures, building maps, and clearly outline fire prevention and response expectations.
All members of the VIU community are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Emergency Response Posters and evacuation instructions posted in their immediate work or study areas. Taking a moment to review this information can make a critical difference in the event of an emergency.
There are many reasons a building might need to be evacuated, like fires, hazardous material spills, earthquakes, or other emergencies. Even if you don’t know the reason right away, always leave the building quickly when an alarm sounds or if you think it’s necessary (for example, after an earthquake). Always follow the instructions from building wardens, emergency coordinators, campus security, and first responders.
Evacuation Point Maps
Review the Evacuation Point maps by campus and building below. You can also download a printable (PDF) version of the maps.
Emergency wardens
Emergency wardens play a vital role in ensuring the safety of building occupants by assisting during emergencies, supporting evacuations, and promoting fire prevention. Each building on campus should have at least one Emergency Warden per floor depending on the building size and layout. During evacuations, Emergency Wardens help ensure that all workspaces are cleared and guide occupants to Evacuation Points throughout campus.