Fire and Life Safety Policies

The following policies and procedures are in place as part of a preventive program that is designed to promote safe living and working environments in the Saint Michael’s College residence halls and to eliminate the conditions that may pose danger to life and property as a result of fires, or unsafe conditions, occurring in or around the residence halls.

Fire, Health, and Safety Inspections

The College reserves the right to inspect any residential space when it is deemed necessary. In addition, the professional staff members of Student Life and Public Safety have the right to enter residential spaces at any time for any reasonable cause. The primary purpose of entering is to take those precautions that College officials deem necessary to protect the health and life safety of the occupants and/or of other persons therein, and to enforce College policy.

Each semester, Residential Life staff and the Department of Public Safety will conduct fire safety inspections, and health and safety inspections of residential buildings and rooms on campus. The inspections will occur at a reasonable hour during the day or evening.

The fire safety inspections will be conducted by Public Safety staff on an on-going basis and will occur at random throughout the semester. Students will be reminded at the beginning of each semester that the inspections will occur. If someone is found to be in violation of fire safety policies, and it is a non-life-threatening violation, they will have twenty-four (24) hours to correct the issue. Life-threatening violations will require immediate correction and will be subject to a fine and/or disciplinary action. Any materials causing violation of the policy will be confiscated at the time of inspection. If any violations are found during an inspection, students may be subject to fines and/or disciplinary action.

The health and safety inspections will occur twice a semester and will be conducted by the Residential Life staff. Notice will be given prior to the start of the health and safety inspection.

If blatant violations that could affect student safety are observed by other college staff members who are entering rooms as part of their job assignments (i.e., Facilities), they will be reported to the Student Life and/or the Public Safety office.

Fire Emergency / Drill Procedures

When the fire alarm sounds, residents are required to evacuate the residence hall/apartment. Failure to evacuate in a timely fashion, or at all, will lead to a fine and/or disciplinary action.

If a fire alarm sounds, residents should check their doors by feeling for heat and/or if smoke is coming under the door, making sure it is safe to exit. If it is safe to exit, students must evacuate immediately, by way of the nearest exit. Residents should not use elevators during a fire emergency or drill.

Residents must keep hallways and stairways clear and refrain from propping doors. Once students have exited the building, they should stand at least 50 feet away from the building, and should not stand in or near fire lanes. Students are not allowed to re-enter the building until the Fire Department and/or Public Safety has allowed them to do so.

Students must not wait for staff to tell them to evacuate. If personal safety permits, Public Safety staff and Residence Life staff will assist with evacuations; however, it is the responsibility of the individual to evacuate when the alarm sounds.

At a minimum of once a semester, the Department of Public Safety will conduct an unannounced fire drill in each residential area on campus. The objective of the drill is to practice evacuating in a timely fashion and becoming familiar with the procedures. Students will need to evacuate the building and will be able to re-enter once the Public Safety staff allows it. Full cooperation of all residents is expected.

False Alarms

Causing a false alarm is extremely dangerous. Multiple false alarms can lead to resident complacency. Causing a false alarm is a very serious offense and is subject to a fine of not less than $500.00 and may be automatically referred to the Judicial Review Board by the Student Life Office for possible suspension or dismissal. Eviction from campus housing may be the consequence for any resident who intentionally initiates a false alarm. Furthermore, a false alarm under some circumstances may be a criminal offense.

Fire Safety Equipment

The use of fire alarms, fire protection equipment, or firefighting equipment for any purpose other than for what it is intended is prohibited. Impairment of any of the systems could cause loss of life, and severe damage to personal and College property.

Residents found tampering with, obstructing, covering, removing, disconnecting, falsely setting off and/or damaging fire safety systems, equipment and other identifiers used by first responders will be subject to fines and/or disciplinary action. Residents will also be responsible for any cost associated with repairing or replacing damaged equipment. Fire safety systems and equipment includes fires alarms, alarm equipment, pull stations, smoke detectors, smoke detector batteries, carbon monoxide detectors, heat detectors, sprinklers, sprinkler pipes, standpipes, standpipe connections, fire extinguishers, fire hydrants, emergency exits, emergency exit signs, emergency exit lights, fire doors, exit doors, emergency phones, and any other equipment or sign associated with the above-listed equipment to include those ADA compliant devices that use sound, flashing lights, tactile indicators to warn individuals of emergencies.

Exits and Egress

All exits and egresses are to be kept free from obstructions at all times. These areas include hallways, stairways, landings, emergency exit doors, bedroom doors, hallway doors, windows, and fire escapes. Bicycles, other sporting equipment, and furniture are prohibited from being in any of the areas listed above. Fire escapes may only be accessed during fire drills or for a fire emergency.

Prohibited Actions / Items

For the safety of all residents on campus, the following actions and items are prohibited and considered fire safety violations. Residents found to be in violation will be subject to fines of $100-$500 and/or disciplinary actions:

• Candles, of any kind / shape / size

• Incense

• Burners

• Hookahs

• E-cigarettes and vapes of any kind

• Fireworks

• Items suspended from sprinkler head and pipes

• Temporary dividers or partitions

• Cinder blocks

• Unauthorized locks on any door

• Appliances that have exposed heating elements, including but not limited to wax melters, toasters, hot plates, electric frying pans / grills (including “George Foreman” grills), toaster ovens and rice cookers are prohibited in Residence Halls. (Town House 200’s, 300’s, 400’s, Cronogue and Hodson Halls are exempt and can have a toaster / toaster oven only in the kitchen).

• Sun lamps

• Fog machines, smoke machines

• Halogen lamps

• Portable heaters or space heaters (regardless of heat/fuel source)

• Dangerous or hazardous chemicals / materials (including propane tanks and camp fuel)

• Air conditioners

• Spider / Octopus style extension cords

• Electric water coolers

• Waterbeds

• Oversized refrigerators (larger than 4.0 cubic feet)

• Oversized microwaves (larger than 500 watts)

• Firearms/weapons

• Holiday lighting that is not UL approved

• Larger carpets with foam or rubber backing

• Rooms that are overly congested with furniture or are extremely untidy

• Live Christmas trees or other live décor

• Outside décor attached to TH units including, but not limited to, decks, etc.

• Drapes or tapestries that interfere (or cover) with egresses, sprinkler head, or smoke detector

• Electric blankets

• Wall coverings (covering more than 50% of the wall and/or interferes with ingress/egress)

• Coverings on doors (that interfere with the operation of the door)

• Drones

• E-Bikes / scooters / hoverboards / skateboards (containing lithium batteries)

Smoking

Smoking is prohibited in any College space. Please see the Tobacco Free Policy.

Outdoor Cooking / Outdoor Fires

Any type of outdoor fire or open flame is prohibited on campus. This includes campfires, bonfires, portable fire pits, and/or torches. Propane or charcoal grills are allowed on campus for cooking purposes and must be placed 20 feet from any building when in use. The grills must be attended to at all times while in use. Propane tanks or canisters are not to be stored inside any residential area, including any townhouse storage rooms.

Residential Maximum Capacity Limits

Overcrowding in the residential areas is a concern for when evacuations are necessary, and people need to evacuate in a timely fashion. Dangerous situations can occur when people are unable to evacuate quickly and efficiently. The College has set maximum capacity limits for the different types of residential areas on campus. Failure to abide by the capacity numbers listed below will be considered a fire safety violation. Residents will be subject to fines and/or disciplinary action if their residential space is found to be over capacity.

Judicial Process for Fire and/or Life Safety Violations

First time offenses will result in a campus citation being issued immediately. The fines will be as follows (categorized as listed above):

• Fire Safety Equipment - $100.00 - $500.00 per person involved

• Prohibited Actions / Items - $100.00 - $500.00 for each action and/or item per person

• Smoking Violations - $100.00 per person

• Residential maximum capacity limits - $100.00 per resident of the townhouse / apartment / suite / room

Second time offenses may result in elevated fines (i.e., each repeat offense may increase the fine, even though the first violation fine may be waived, the offense is still noted and counted) as stated above AND referral to Student Life. For all malicious and/or deliberate fire alarm activations, the offender(s) will be immediately referred to the Student Life and will receive an automatic $500.00 Fire Safety Violation fine. If the violation or cause of the alarm is in a common space and no individual(s) take(s) ownership, then a fine will be issued to all residents of the townhouse/apartment/suite/room. Any student who is issued a campus citation by Public Safety will have 15 days to appeal the citation (Fire Safety Officer) or pay the citation fine to Student Financial Services. Student Life will be notified of any and all citations via Maxient; however, the Student Life may not need to take action until the second offense.