The life safety system inside a building is concerned with the safe egress of people in the event of a fire or other type of emergency. Flow is facilitated through the use of corridors and doors. The life safety system in Macalister Hall will be discussed in the following sections.

Equipment Used in Life Safety:

Exit Signs:

The primary piece of equipment used in life safety systems is the exit sign. It is of upmost importance that egress routes be clearly marked and illuminated. These illuminated exit signs can be seen in smoke events and will guide the way to the nearest staircase or exit door.

Fire Extinguishers and Hoses:

The fire extinguisher is an important piece of the life safety system because is allows a person to put out minor fires before they turn into major events. In Macalister Hall, the fire extinguisher is placed next to a fire hose in a cabinet, which can also be used in fighting a minor fire by the inhabitants of the building.

Egress Routes by Level:

Basement Level:

There are two primary exits in the basement of Macalister Hall. There are double doors on both the south wall and the east wall to accommodate large movements of people in an emergency situation. Egress arrows and paths are shown in pink in the plan below.

The first floor is served by one main entrance on the east side of the building with two sets of double doors. There is an additional exit located on the west wall in the bookstore, and two exits to the loading dock on the south side from the storage and office areas.

Typical Tower Floor:

There are two staircases on every floor of the tower. Stair #1 is located in the central core of the building and is easily accessible from the south, southwest, southeast, and east parts of the floor. Stair #2 is located in the northwest corner of the building and is easily accessible from the north and west sides.