Ballantine Hall prepares for annual Safety Week

The Ballantine Hall Safety Committee, a group of more than 30 staff members working in the building, will begin their annual "Safety Week" activities today.\nThe purpose of the event is to alert faculty, staff and students to the possibility of emergency situations in the building, and teach the correct way to handle them.\nBallantine Hall is one of the largest buildings on campus, both in terms of size and number of people coming into and out of the building. Therefore, the committee was established to help create an efficient means of handling emergency situations inside and around the building. \nMany of the committee members are certified in First Aid and CPR, and are trained on the proper usage of fire extinguishers and hoses. Bullhorns have also been purchased to help aid in giving instructions during an emergency situation. In the event of a cardiac emergency, Ballantine has also been equipped with an Automatic External Defibrillator, or AED. Committee members have been trained on the device designed to stimulate the heart muscle during a cardiac event. The device is located in Ballantine 121. \nEvery building on the IU campus has an Emergency Action Plan, detailing the proper procedures for each individual building during an emergency situation. According to the EAP, Ballantine Hall has eight exits from which students and staff may evacuate the building, with four "safe zones" away from the building where they can go. \nIn the case of a tornado, it is virtually impossible to hear the warning sirens from inside the building, so committee members are responsible for the timely movement of students and other staff members to safer, enclosed rooms. Interestingly enough, Ballantine 013, the lecture hall and largest room in the building, is not considered structurally sound in the event of a tornado.\nDuring the week, committee members and other staff in the building will teach students the various evacuation procedures and exit routes, as well as introduce them to the safety volunteers on each floor.