Fire alarms are an inevitable part of residential life on campus, whether they are scheduled or not, especially in the buildings with full kitchens. Last Monday, the alarm in Edmond’s went off at 4 o’clock in the morning, evacuating the entire nine-floor building. As reluctant as I was to leave my nice, warm bed, I braced myself before heading out into the late winter night.
Once the fire alarm goes off, the main objective is to leave the building as quickly as possible, but there are a few things that would be worth grabbing before you leave your room:
- Layers. No matter what time of year it is, it’s likely that the evenings are going to be pretty chilly. On your way out, grab an extra layer or two so you can keep more comfortable while you’re waiting for further instruction from your RAs or the authorities.
- Phone. If you can grab your phone, then you’ll be able to contact your parents in a worst-case scenario. More realistically, if you’re outdoors for a long period of time you can call your friends and sleep in their room for the night.
- ID. Since other people are leaving the building, one of them is bound to have their ID to get back into the building. However, should you sleep in someone else’s room for the night you’ll be needing a way back into your own dorm after everything has been settled. Grabbing your ID isn’t as necessary, but definitely helpful if taken with you.
- Roommates. This one should go without saying. Make sure your roommates are awake and leave the room with you. Don’t leave the others behind; keep each other safe!
In light of the recent fire in Boston’s Back Bay, we should remember that fire alarms are a serious matter. While we would prefer to be unbothered by the alarm, they exist for our safety. At a young age, we were taught the basic fire safety rules and we are expected to take fire alarms very seriously. However, for the most part, when the fire alarm goes off it’s a scheduled drill or the situation is fairly minor. Because of the frequency of these drills, we’ve begun to find them more of a nuisance rather than potentially life-saving.
In an ideal world, we would have enough time to grab everything we possibly need in case of an emergency. However, we’re given a very limited amount of time, if any at all, to take what we can. These items should only be sought out if they are easily accessible and won’t prevent you from leaving your room (except for your roommates; always bring your roommates). Most importantly, you should consider your safety in the event the fire alarm should go off. Midnight fire alarms may seem like the worst thing in the world at the time, but it’s better to be safe than sorry!
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Photo Sources:
 http://respectedhusband.wordpress.com/2012/10/11/fire-prevention-in-your-marriage/fire-alarm/
 http://www.downvids.net/despicable-me-2-quot-fire-alarm-quot–451881.html
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