The OU Fire Marshal's Office operates under the University of Oklahoma Campus Safety Department. Our mission is to provide a fire safe environment for faculty, staff, students and visitors on the campus of the University of Oklahoma.
The University Fire Marshal's Office is responsible for inspections, fire safety education, plan reviews & code interpretation, fire investigations, permits and other policies for the Norman Campus and University owned property outside the campus.
Commitment to building safety is the highest priority.
The Code Compliance Division consists of Building, Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing Inspectors who work together with the Fire Marshal's Office in a concerted effort to make our campus facilities safe.
This is achieved through plan review, permitting, inspections, and education.
Code Compliance Inspectors ensure construction, new installations, remodels, and alterations meet national building codes, as well as national standards and university specifications. Code Compliance Inspectors witness the testing of equipment, conduct structural inspections, inspect plumbing, mechanical, electrical, and other systems to ensure they are code compliant.
The Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act) is federal law that requires colleges and universities across the United States to disclose information about crime on and around their campuses.
The Clery Act is named in memory Lehigh University freshman Jeanne Ann Clery, who on April 5, 1986, was sexually assaulted and murdered in her dorm room while asleep. Jeanne's parents, Connie and Howard, discovered that students hadn't been told about 38 violent crimes on their daughter's campus in the three years before her murder. They joined with other campus crime victims and persuaded Congress to enact this law, which was originally known as the "Crime Awareness and Campus Security Act of 1990."
All public and private institutions of higher education that particpate in federal student financial aid programs must adhere to compliance regulations and annually disclose campus crime statistics. It is enforced by the U.S. Department of Education.
It is important to have a grab-and-go bag ready for each member of the family in case you have to evacuate your home quickly. For more information about how to pack a grab-and-go bad, click the link below.
Arrangements can be made to reasonably assure that assistance with evacuation is provided to anyone who is known to require it; contact the faculty or staff member in charge of the facility or area.
When no prior arrangements are made, assistance may not be available at the time an emergency occurs.
Persons with disabilities may not be readily identifiable to others. Anyone with a disability not readily apparent should inform the person in charge of a facility that assistance with evacuation may be required to ensure it is available in the event of an emergency.
When assistance arrangements are made, there is no requirement to make them public.
Arrangements for assistance are usually best accomplished through establishing a personal relationship between the individual requiring assistance and one or more of his/her peers in the form of a "buddy" plan.
Redundant arrangements should be made to ensure the needed assistance is provided even when the primary provider is absent when an emergency occurs. Volunteers can usually be readily arranged.
Assistance with making arrangements should be sought from the faculty or staff member responsible for the activity or area.
The emergency evacuation alarm systems in most University facilities include visual and audible signalling devices which alert hearing impaired persons to alarm conditions.
In residential facilities, signalling components may be added or modified within individual units to accommodate a resident with a disability.
Elevators cannot safely be used for emergency egress, and are typically programmed to cease operating when a fire alarm is activated.
A wheelchair can constitute an unacceptable impedance to the ability of others using the stairway to evacuate, and may therefore have to be abandoned.
There are specific techniques to enable two persons to safely carry a third while descending stairs, but these must be learned and practiced prior to an actual emergency and are therefore impractical for occupants of a transient nature such as students.
Areas of safe refuge have been identified within many Norman Campus facilities (typically inside the protected emergency egress stairways) which wheelchair users can reach on their own, and where they can safely await assistance from public safety personnel in a position which does not impede or prevent emergency egress by other occupants.
Public safety personnel should be made aware of anyone needing assistance by other occupants who have evacuated. On campus, the stairway landing in most buildings is large enough to accommodate at least one wheelchair occupant and still be viable as a means of emergency egress for others.
While not all stairways fully qualify as "areas of safe refuge" as defined by code, they are usually substantially safer than any other area of the building and much preferable to remaining in an area where exposure to heat, smoke, and products of combustion are a hazard.
Pre-identifying and trying out an "area of safe refuge" is an acceptable alternative to assisted evacuation.
Emergencies should be reported as soon as possible by dialling 911 (TDD:325-1911)
For other questions regarding fire safety issues on the OU Norman Campus, contact the University Fire Marshal at Campus Safety e-mail at fire@ou.edu.
Questions pertaining to campus emergency procedures should be referred to the OU Police Department, (405)-325-2864, or by e-mail to Operations at OUPD OPERATIONS.
Questions on ADA compliance and/or accommodations for physically disabled persons should be referred to:
The best way to assess heat risk is to use the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature Map from the Oklahoma Mesonet. WBGT uses heat, humidity, sunshine and wind to determine risk. To better understand what the WBGT categories mean and how to implement appropriate hydration and work-rest schedules, refer to this guide (PDF).
BEAT THE HEAT
Summers in Oklahoma can be very hot and humid. Know what to do if you experience heat stress or heat illness and the signs to look for. Below are some helpful fact sheets and links to sites where you can get more information.
The combination of temperatures well below freezing and strong winds can be dangerous if you are outdoors for significant periods of time, and if you are not wearing appropriate warm clothing.
The National Weather Service uses "wind chill" as the most accurate way of calculating these dangers during extreme cold weather. A combination of the latest weather knowledge, medical knowledge, computer modeling, and clinical trials have informed the guidance on wind chill and safety.
STAY SAFE IN COLDER WEATHER
During the Winter Months!
Have a Plan - Make a Kit - Stay Informed
For most individuals, wind chills of -18F or colder, combined with skin exposure of greater than 30 minutes can lead to frostbite. If wind chills drop to -30F, then frostbite can occur in 10 minutes. (See Wind Chill Chart for Critical Values)
For the OU Norman Campus, weather monitoring commences when the wind chill factor is expected to go below freezing (32F). Expected wind chill factors below zero (0F) means a heightened awareness of weather conditions, and campus safety officials monitor the weather on a minute-to-minute basis.
Always dress appropriately for the weather. In extreme cold, wear a hat or a coat with a hood because half of your body heat can be lost from your head. Use your hood, earmuffs or cover your ears with a scarf or the collar of your coat. Wear tight-fitting mittens and socks as your fingers and toes are the next most vulnerable parts of your body. Wear several layers of loose-fitting, lightweight, warm clothing. Trapped air between the layers will insulate you. Stay dry! If your clothing is wet, your body is likely to lose heat more quickly. When wind chills are below zero, limit your outdoor exposure by spending as much time as possible indoors.
We are always available to address your specific concerns when bitterly cold air arrives. You may email us your questions at emergencypreparedness@ou.edu
EVERY LIGHTNING STORM CAN BE A RISK
"When thunder roars, go indoors!"
LIGHTNING SAFETY
Postpone activities promptly if you hear thunder and go to a safe shelter immediately. Get out of the water and don’t stand in puddles of water, even if you are wearing rubber boots.
Sturdy buildings are the safest place to be. Avoid sheds, picnic shelters, baseball dugouts, and bleachers. If no sturdy building is nearby get in a hardtop vehicle with windows closed. The steel frame of the vehicle provides some protection if you are not touching metal.
If you can’t get to a shelter, avoid trees. Crouch in the open, keeping twice as far away from a tree as it is tall.
Coaches and leaders should monitor the weather during practice sessions or games.
Avoid metal! Drop metal backpacks, stay away from clotheslines, fences, exposed sheds, and electrically conductive elevated objects. Don’t hold on to metal items such as golf clubs, fishing rods, tennis rackets or tools.
Stay several yards away from other people. Don’t share a bleacher bench or huddle in a group.
IF SOMEONE IS STRUCK BY LIGHTNING
Call 911 immediately. Get medical attention as quickly as possible.
Give first aid. If the victim has stopped breathing, begin rescue breathing. If the heart has stopped beating, a trained person should give CPR. Use an AED if available. If the person has a pulse and is breathing, address any other injuries.
People struck by lightning carry no electrical charge that can shock other people. You can attend to them without risk of shock.
Earthquakes have been on the rise in recent years in Oklahoma. In 2014 Oklahoma officially became the most seismically active state in the lower 48, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, with 567 temblors magnitude 3.0 or greater. Below are some helpful fact sheets and links to sites where you can get more information about earthquakes.
TORNADO SAFETY - TAKING REFUGE
The City of Norman maintains a citywide civil defense warning siren that will be sounded in the event of a tornado warning. If severe weather is imminent and
you are outdoors, move indoors as quickly as possible.
Consider obtaining an emergency kit and weather radio for your department.
Shut off any equipment that might be affected by a temporary loss of electricity.
Close hallway doors as you leave to shield the corridors from flying debris.
Move to any of the best available refuge areas in the building. Become familiar with the location of the best available refuge area in your building before a storm occurs.
When you are off-campus or in buildings without designated shelters, move to a small room on lower levels, an interior hallway, or a basement. GET IN, GET DOWN AND COVER UP!
Avoid upper floors, large glassed areas, auditoriums, and windows.
Stay out of parking garages, auditoriums, and exterior walkways. Stay away from electrical appliances.
Use the telephone for emergency calls ONLY.
STAY CALM AND ALERT.
Call 911 to report any damage.
There WILL NOT be an all-clear signal from the siren system in Norman.
Courtesy of the NOAA National Weather Service WSR-88D radar network and the Oklahoma Mesonet
| Adams Hall or Price Hall | 1003 Asp Ave. | Room E4: Main corridor first floor of Adams; Room 1C: Office storage; Room 1Q: Copy/storage room; Room E5: Corridor in Adams, first floor | Monica McCulloch | mmcculloch@ou.edu | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Andrew M. Coats Hall | 300 West Timberdell Rd. | First floor, below grade | Jim Shuster | jim.shuster@ou.edu | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Animal Holding Facility | 730 Van Vleet Oval | George Lynn Cross Hall Basement | Mike Todd | miketodd70@ou.edu | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Anne and Henry Zarrow Hall | 700 Elm Ave. | Kitchen room 140; First floor bathrooms, hallway in front of family restroom; First floor hallway if everyone is on the floor in front of classrooms 115, 120 and 105/110; Either one of the stairwells if on the first floor | Nancy Nichols | njnichols@ou.edu | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Armory | 290 W. Brooks St. | First floor gym within the midshipman room | Nesha Williams | Nesha.S.Williams-1@ou.edu | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bizzell Memorial Library | 401 W. Brooks St. | Lower levels one and two in designated areas | Larry Myers | Larry.L.Myers-1@ou.edu | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Boomer Outreach Building | 300 Kellogg Dr. | OCCE Forum Basement; OCCE Administration Basement | Tom Hoyt | tom.hoyt@ou.edu | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Buchanan Hall | 1000 Asp Ave. | First-floor bathrooms; Admissions office room 131; Admissions office closet in front office area; Bursar office break room | Pam Dempsey | pdempsey@ou.edu | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Burton Hall | 610 Elm Ave. | First Floor Hallway; One of the interior offices on the first floor with no windows | Kristi Wright | cosmo@ou.edu | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Carnegie Building | 650 Parrington Oval | Basement level of the building in areas with no outside doors or windows, for example, area at bottom of stairs outside room 112, Men's and women's restrooms; Hallways outside restrooms; Interior offices and hallways, keeping all doors and windows closed | Cyndy Adams | coadams@ou.edu | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Carpenter Hall | 840 Asp Ave. | Center Hallway on ground floor | Jessica Carabajal | jessc@ou.edu | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Central Oklahoma is home to the strongest tornadoes, largest hail, most frequent and dangerous lightning and damaging winds on the planet. Central Oklahoma also deals with the devastating impacts of crippling ice storms and extreme cold snaps, intense periods of deadly heat and drought and wildland fire danger occurring at the urban/rural interface.
To deal with these recurring weather threats, the OU Department of Campus Safety has developed and implemented one of the most comprehensive campus weather safety programs in the nation. On-site professional weather monitoring and support are part of daily operations at OU, and every outdoor event has a proactive weather safety and contingency plan. OU has also invested millions of dollars in severe weather refuge areas to create a safer environment for campus residents against the winds sweeping down the Plain.
The OU Department of Campus Safety's state mandated mission is the maintenance of life safety systems, and to provide support for safe buildings, events and activities. The Department also engages in emergency planning for securing the safety, health and well-being of each of the OU's students, staff, faculty and visitors. Our weather safety efforts are a crucial component of the overall safety mission at OU.
The details of OU-Norman's comprehensive weather safety activities are provided in the report linked below. Should you have any questions, or require weather safety information for your college, department, unit, office or event, please contact the OU Department of Campus Safety at 405-325-5073.
*If there is time, close all doors, especially the interior bathroom/closet/hallway doors.
