Imagine you’re sitting at your desk and you smell smoke. Would you know what to do?

“We all assume that we’d know what to do if there was a fire in our building,” said Andy Altizer, Emergency Preparedness director. “But the reality is that in the heat of the moment, it’s easy to panic and forget what to do.”

To ensure that you’re prepared if you ever find yourself in this situation, review the following steps:

• Activate the fire alarm pull station or use other emergency alerting procedures, and evacuate. Do not use the elevator.
• Call Georgia Tech Police at 911 from any campus phone or at 404-894-2500 from a cellphone.
• Use a fire extinguisher only if you are trained and it is safe to do so. If attempting to extinguish the fire, remember to keep your back to the door. If the first attempt is unsuccessful, evacuate immediately.
• Report to the designated evacuation assembly area for the building, and do not leave.