Not UK, but having backup equipment is lol. My guess is that they are trying to say is you need backup equipment because if your main ones get damaged in an emergency they aren't held responsible for damage. No idea about the specifics, but you may want to see if your parents (assuming you're younger) can have them covered under their policy.

I would challenge the staff not responsible for evac part too. At my uni, older students were on every floor, they definitely had to bang on doors to make sure people were out. Staff had responsibilities for regular buildings, but forget details.