A Successful Fire Drill at UB Belmopan

There have been devastating fires this year that resulted in the loss of lives. In the capital this morning, students and staff were evacuated from the University of Belize Campus. The evacuation, however, was a drill performed to test the capacity of UB to respond in case a fire erupts at the institution. The exercise went without a hitch as the police and fire departments, as well as NEMO, sprung into action. News Five’s Duane Moody has a report.

Duane Moody, Reporting

Fire at the University of Belize Belmopan Campus – just after ten this morning, students of the national university were evacuated from their classes as personnel from the fire and police departments as well as NEMO were called to the scene. It was a fire drill stimulation exercise at the Kinkajou building on campus held to ensure the efficient and safe use of all available exit facilities, to familiarize occupants with sound and audibility of alarm and to provide an opportunity for students and staff to evacuate the building orderly and prevent panic. Communications and Marketing Officer, Santree Sandiford, says that the drill will be replicated across the other UB campuses.

Santree Sandiford

Santree Sandiford, Communications & Marketing Officer, UB

“Basically at the University of Belize, safety of our students, staff and faculty is our top priority and so the purpose of today was simply to first prepare students on how to properly evacuate a building in case of an emergency and also for us as a university to evaluate our own emergency systems and procedures; how we would respond to in terms if something were to happen.”

The university intends to make it a common practice because there are different emergencies including fires, chemical spills, bomb threats and other situations that could occur on campus. And students and faculty must be aware of best practices.

Eldora Rubio

Eldora Rubio, Officer in Charge, Belmopan Fire Station

“During a drill, it is the same procedure that you need to take in the event that something should occur. Who is responsible to call the emergency agencies; what is their job to do. Call someone, state the type of fire, all the agencies respond. And when we arrive, it is important that we need to have someone to come and inform us exactly because if you notice the UB compound has more than one structure on it. So we need to know the exact building that is on fire, which room and they need to tell us as much information as if there is somebody still left in the room or if somebody missing for us to search for that person.”

Santree Sandiford

“We strive to get all relevant stakeholders involved. So today we had the Fire Department, the Police Department, the K9; we have representatives from NEMO as well as we had the ambulance assistance today. So all relevant stakeholders who would be needed for that drill, we had present.”

Duane Moody for News Five.