Many of the 800+ students living on the south side of campus are no longer leaving their dorm rooms during prank fire alarms that occur almost nightly, presenting a dangerous problem that AU Housing and Dining staff is beginning to address.
Rick Treter, director of residence life sent out a memo explaining that the Office of Housing and Dining and the university plan to take serious steps to enforce the existing punishments for those who pull the alarms without reason as well as students who stay inside during alarms.
Pulling a fire alarm and staying inside during an alarm are violations of established federal and criminal laws. Both offenses are punishable with severe fines, as well as expulsion from housing, Treter said. The university will also file criminal charges through the D.C. District courts. In addition, fraternities and sororities could face having their national status revoked if they make pulling alarms acceptable, or suggest it as a prank, Treter said.
The office also plans to offer rewards to students for revealing anyone who has pulled an alarm.
"There will be a $200 reward for anyone that can identify someone who activates a false fire alarm," said Amber Lange, south side area director for Housing and Dining. She said the university was considering inking the alarms, deterring students from the temptation of pulling an alarm without cause by spraying permanent ink on a person who pulls the alarm. As a last resort, there would be cameras set up near the pull stations.
Students have expressed frustrations with the frequent alarms.
"I think barely anyone on my floor goes out for the fire alarms," said Jeremy Kraner, a freshman in the Kogod School of Business and a resident of Letts Hall.
Kraner also said that he does not go outside for the alarms if he is asleep, which presents another safety problem. Rebecca Krichinsky, a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences and a south side resident assistant, said that "a lot of people legitimately sleep through [the fire alarm] and it doesn't wake them up".
Krichinsky said that students remain inside the buildings for illegitimate reasons. She explained a situation recently where some students were seen peeking their heads out of a window during a fire alarm. The RAs on duty noticed and brought the students out.
"They said they were going to come out as soon as they were done registering for classes," she said.
Scott Goldstein, another south side RA, explained that very few of his residents will exit the building during a fire alarm.
"At least a good 80 percent of my residents stay in," he said. Goldstein is considering offering rewards to those who do go outside during alarms.
"One of these times, it could be really bad. People need to leave," Lange said. "Students don't realize that 80 to 90 percent of the have been real alarms for real fires," she added.
Treter warned the students the seriousness of the situation, referring to a dormitory fire in Seton Hall University in January 2000 that killed three students and injured 58.
