Fires can have a devastating impact on university resources. Staff resources, as well as physical resources such as labs and lab notes, library collections and classroom space, are critical elements of the research and teaching mission of the university.

If these spaces are damaged by fire or are otherwise rendered unusable, the mission of the university is threatened. Fires occur on campuses across the United States every day. Here at the UCLA, fires damage classrooms, labs and equipment every year. Every employee and student at the University should be aware of the often unique fire hazards of a large teaching and research university.

Standards and regulations written by the California State Fire Marshal as amended in the California Fire Code (CFC), and by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) identify topics that employees must be familiar with in respect to the prevention of fires and what to do when there is a fire. Supervisors are responsible for providing the information employees need to reduce the risk of fire in their work site and to know what to do if there is a fire.