I have been a resident of Fairview Suites since the fall 2021, and for the past two semesters, there has been an increase in fire evacuations to the point that it is considered a weird occurrence if the fire alarm doesn’t go off in the middle of the night.
Due to how often a resident pulled the fire alarm in 2022, cameras were installed in the hallways, and a $500 reward was offered for whoever could identify the culprit. To this day, no follow-up email was ever sent out about if the person was caught or not.
In my honest opinion, after any fire evacuation there should be an email sent out to residents with a report addressing what triggered the alarm system to go off. The report will further reassure occupants that the issue was professionally looked into or ease their minds that there was no real emergency.
Now, whenever the fire alarm goes off, I don’t think it’s an emergency because of how many times someone either pulled the alarm for fun or burned their popcorn.
Students should not be woken up by the sound of Fairview’s screeching fire alarm, rush to get dressed then walk down the dreadful ramp to the Rec Center just to be told there was no real emergency.
Not to mention, the noise and flashing lights of the fire alarm is nightmare inducing for all residents. I can’t imagine how traumatized pet owners and their pets are from the sound of the alarm and the constant evacuations.
Many students use the platform YikYak to anonymously voice their complaints about their experiences living in Fairview. Some users admitted to not leaving their dorm if the fire alarm goes off past quiet hours. The fact that some residents would rather risk their own safety because of Fairview’s faulty fire alarm system is disheartening and another reason why more communication is needed.
After the amount of excessive non-emergency fire evacuations, I think that Fairview’s Residence Hall directors should be required to email their residents a fire drill schedule at the beginning of each semester. More communication will help improve living conditions for those disturbed by the faulty fire alarm system and improve residents’ morale significantly.
