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Every campus facility is equipped with a fire safety system that is monitored 24 hours a day by an off-campus monitoring company. Upon activation of an alarm, the company notifies the local fire department and then notifies the Campus Safety Office. Upon notification, an officer is dispatched to the scene to assist the fire personnel in securing the area in question and to aid in the evacuation of the occupants of the facility. In addition, each residence hall room is equipped with a battery-operated smoke detector. Fire extinguishers are strategically located throughout the buildings and there are pull stations located at the exits.
Emergency procedures, which include fire drill regulations, are posted on the back of each residence hall room door. Each student is responsible for knowing them and keeping them posted. Fire drills are conducted each semester with a report and an evaluation given to the Dean of Students. These reports are made available to the State and City Fire Marshals. Monthly inspections are also made to ensure that extinguishers, emergency lighting, exit signs, and other fire system equipment are in compliance with the NFPA codes.
Fire safety regulations require that cooking equipment with exposed heating elements, such as popcorn poppers, hot pots, and coffee pots be used in the kitchen areas only. No candles, incense, oil lamps, or other types of open flames are allowed in the residence halls.
Additional fire safety regulations are as follows:
- no clothes racks, bicycles, suitcases, or other items are to be left in the hallways or stairwells
- overloaded electrical outlets or drop cords are not permitted; however strip plugs with surge suppressors are allowed
- no objects are to be hung from the sprinkler heads
- no objects are to be placed on the fire escapes
Residence Halls as well as students’ rooms are subject to inspection to
ensure that regulations are met. Students found in violation will have 48 hours to correct the situation. After this time, items will be confiscated by the Campus Fire Marshal and Civitas Council or the Director of Residential Life will be notified. Violations of fire safety regulations will be adjudicated by Civitas
Council, the Campus Fire Marshal, or the Director of Residential Life and may result in fines or other sanctions.
STATISTICS
|
1997 |
1998 |
1999 |
| Fire* |
1 |
2 |
6 |
| Fire alarms |
12 |
26 |
9 |
*The fires reported have resulted in minimal damage to the residence hall areas and include: a poster, curtains ignited by candle flame, 2 microwave fires due to inappropriate material being placed in them, burning in the study room, a grass fire, fire in a residence hall room due to an unauthorized cooking appliance, and a car fire.
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