Fire alarms ring in dorms

Juliana Kiyan Guest Writer

Upon students’ return to campus, fire alarms have been triggered several times in different residential buildings, including the Town Houses, Main, Jewett, Davison, and Raymond. The frequency of the disruptions has been attributed to increased sensitivity of the alarms and malfunctions.

The alarms have gone off at all hours, disturbing sleep and study habits of students who must evacuate the dorm and wait outside until firemen and other authorities deem the building safe for re-entry. On Monday, Sept. 12, five separate alarms were triggered in the Town Houses, Davison, and Main. Maria Quinata ’09 estimated she and her roommates shuffled out of Main around 1:30 a.m.

“We were confused; it was like chaos,” said Quinata. “We waited outside for 15 to 20 minutes. Some girls brought out their pets—a guinea pig and a rat.”

The fire department arrived at the scene, established that no fire was ablaze, and allowed everyone to return to their rooms.

That alarm is reported to be a malfunction. One question that arose from the evacuation was how to repair the alarm’s sound system in order for everyone to hear it immediately. The sound was muffled for some of Main’s residents because their rooms are not directly accessible from the main hall, where the alarms are situated.

In the following weeks, alarms sounded in Main and in Jewett multiple times.

Director of Residential Life Luis Inoa said the alarms have been most frequent in the Town Houses. Those residents have been informed of the problem and advised not to leave cooking unattended and to take caution in other situations.

In one case, there was a veritable emergency when Dean of Students DB Brown ventured out behind Main and discovered a dumpster that was smoldering. He called the fire department and no damage was done.

Many speculate as to what the cause of these disturbances is, with fingers pointing at extreme sensitivity of the alarms, carelessness of students, and pranks.

However, no student has been reprimanded for pulling fire alarms as a joke. In some buildings, carbon monoxide detectors are connected to the alarms; thus, one sets off the other.

Inoa said that Residential Life authorities are currently working with Buildings and Grounds to determine how often the alarms should be tested and how to enhance their audibility to be able to give notice to every student in danger.