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Fire Safety and Fire Alarms

Office of Residence Life > Resident Resources > Fire Safety and Fire Alarms

Residence Halls and Suites

Each residence hall is equipped with smoke detectors, a fire alarm or bell, and firewalls. Lewis Quad and Waring Commons suites also have sprinkler systems. Residence halls have water fire extinguishers on the residential floors for small, containable fires. Multi-purpose extinguishers (ABC) are located in the kitchen, front office, and laundry room. If the building’s fire alarm is sounding or if there is a fire, the building should be evacuated immediately. Call 9-911, notify Public Safety at ext. 4911, and then notify an RA or the residence hall coordinator.

Waring Commons Apartments and Townhouses

Each apartment and townhouse is equipped with smoke detectors, a fire alarm or bell, a sprinkler system, and firewalls. Apartments and townhouses also have a fire extinguisher for small, containable fires. If there is a fire in an apartment or townhouse, students should evacuate immediately, call 9-911, notify Public Safety at ext. 4911, and then notify an RA or the RHC.

For all Residents

When the alarm rings, you may not know whether it is a drill or a real fire. Always assume there is a real fire and evacuate quickly. Please keep in mind that during a real fire, equipment from three or four companies will be responding to these areas. Do not assemble on or near a road or fire hydrant.

Evacuation Points

Students should gather in the designated location as follows:

Caroline and Prince George

Students should move to the green area in front of Glendening Hall. In the event of bad weather or extended evacuation, students will be permitted to enter Glendening Hall.

Dorchester Hall

Students should move to the green area/hill next to the Montgomery Hall Dance Studio. In the event of bad weather or extended evacuation, students will be permitted to enter Montgomery Hall.

Lewis Quadrangle

Students should move toward the grass areas around DPC. In the event of bad weather or an extended evacuation, students will be permitted to enter DPC.

Queen Anne Hall

Students should move toward the wooded area behind the dumpster located in the front of the building (parking lot). In the event of bad weather or an extended evacuation, students will be permitted to enter Montgomery Hall.

Townhouses

Harrington, Boone, Homer Dodge, Maggie Dodge, Morsell, and Trueschler Students should exit toward Townhouse Green and then proceed to the patio area of DPC. In the event of bad weather or an extended evacuation, students will be permitted to enter DPC. Southern Crescent and Northern Crescent
Students should move toward the grass areas around DPC. In the event of bad weather or an extended evacuation, students will be permitted to enter DPC. Students who exit towards the science building should not gather in the parking lot.

Waring Commons

Students should move toward Lewis Quad. In the event of bad weather or an extended evacuation, students will be permitted to enter the LQ rec. room and DPC. Students should not block the roadway.

False Alarms

Several colleges and universities have recently experienced problems with false fire alarms that have resulted in tragedy: students became desensitized to fire alarms and remained in their rooms instead of evacuating the building because they thought it was “just another false alarm.” Unfortunately, in a few cases (for example, Seton Hall University), students died in residence hall fires.

Students who pull false alarms endanger everyone’s safety. Fire alarms should only be activated in the event of an actual fire. On-campus judicial action as well as civil action through the local court system may be initiated for pulling false alarms.

Fire Extinguishers

If using a fire extinguisher, remember to pull the safety pin and aim the hose nozzle at the base of the fire.

If you have reason to use the fire extinguisher in your room, etc., you are required to notify Public Safety. Do not assume that a fire, however small, is out. Leave this to a Public Safety officer or the Fire Department. Remember, the fire extinguisher will need to be recharged after ANY discharge, partial or full. Students should refrain from discharging a fire extinguisher unless putting out an actual fire.

Sprinkler Heads, Smoke Detectors, and Fire Alarms

Students are not permitted to hang anything from a sprinkler head, smoke detector, or alarm/strobe light box. Additionally, items (for example, tapestries) may not cover or block a sprinkler head, smoke detector, or alarm/strobe light box. These items are routinely checked during vacation inspections. Violation of these mandates, when noticed during an inspection or by College employees (Residence Life, Maintenance, etc.), must be corrected immediately by the residents. If the residents are unavailable, the appropriate corrective action may be initiated to assure life safety and property protection. Please do not hang items on or from the ceiling.

In addition to the safety equipment discussed above, every block (Harrington, Boone, etc.) or section (Southern Crescent 1-14, Northern Crescent 1-26) of townhouses is equipped with a bell-warning system in case a fire becomes uncontrollable. In the event this happens, students throughout the complex should evacuate their townhouses immediately and notify Public Safety and the Residence Life staff.