The health and safety of our community is both a priority and a responsibility that we all must share.

While University Police and Public Safety, Emergency Management, and Environmental Health and Safety are charged with leadership of health and safety initiatives for IUP, everyone has a role to play in this critically important work.

In the next several months, messages and information about emergency preparedness planning will be shared with you. Thank you, in advance, for your careful review of this information and for your participation in upcoming training and drills.

Emergency Management has prepared an Emergency Action Guide with information about emergency preparedness. Printed copies of this brochure will be distributed to all departments and are available by contacting Megan Heilbrun at 724-357-2546 or via email at mkiebler@iup.edu. The Emergency Action Guide brochure and additional information about emergency preparedness are available on the Emergency Management website.

Initially, unannounced fire drills will be conducted in administrative buildings in November. Going forward, one fire drill per building per semester will be conducted while classes are in session, including in instructional/classroom buildings, starting in the spring 2024 semester. 

These fire drills are an important step in emergency planning and are performed to familiarize everyone with evacuation procedures should the need arise to clear the building.

The fire drill represents an emergency situation; the requirement to evacuate buildings must be followed. Fire drills, if practiced consistently, will save lives in the event of an actual emergency.

Actions to Follow When the Building Fire Alarm Sounds

  • Upon hearing or seeing the fire alarm, all occupants must immediately evacuate the building through the nearest and safest exit(s). If the path is blocked, use an alternate route. During the drill, a blocked exit may be simulated.
  • Do not call University Police to ask if the fire alarm is a drill.
  • Do not use the elevators during an evacuation.
  • Physically impaired occupants may need assistance in evacuating the building. If this is the case, please notify Megan Heilbrun at 724-357-2546 or via email at mkiebler@iup.edu in advance.
  • Upon leaving the building, move far enough away from the building to allow emergency personnel and vehicles easy access.
  • Remain outside the building until instructed to return inside by University Police and Public Safety personnel or Environmental Health and Safety employees.

If there are scheduled events that are part of the academic curriculum for which a fire drill would be extremely disruptive, please contact Megan Heilbrun at 724-357-2546 or via email at mkiebler@iup.edu. To the extent possible, we will work with you to avoid a fire drill during these time periods.

Thank you very much for your full participation and cooperation as we work together to create and maintain the safest possible community for our students, our employees, and our visitors.