Every year, Cabrini University must do mandatory fire drills on all of the building to ensure of their safety. Everybody knows the feeling of leaving their cozy dorms and having to break from homework just to stand in the middle of the street. What happens if a student does not follow the drill?
“Students can get in serious trouble for not exiting the building when the alarm sounds off,” Joseph Fusco, director of Public Safety, said about the disciplinary process of refusing to leave when they hear the alarm.
“If a student intentionally stays indoors during an alarm then they will have to meet with the dean of student life, George Stroud, and a punishment will be brought upon the student because they would violate Cabrini University’s Community Standard for Student Conduct. The student could face a punishment as severe as suspension, not to mention that refusing to vacate the premises during a fire alarm is a violation of Pa. state laws,” he said.
The Community Standard for Student Conduct states that intended reporting of a false fire alarm or misusing fire equipment, such as maliciously pulling a fire alarm, exiting through fire exits or tampering with other safety equipment, will result in a $100 fine and possibly losing residency on Cabrini’s campus.
In the event of a real fire, it is Public Safety’s job to get students fifty feet away from the buildings. If a student needs help, then Public Safety will get the student out of the building as long as it is not a severe fire. In the case of a handicapped student, Public Safety will enter the building in a two man team to help the student. If it would put an officer’s life at risk to rescue the student, then the fire department is responsible for saving the student.
Nobody wants to be that person who makes the entire building evacuate and angering all of the residents. Some students have experience with that.
“Last year when I lived in East, the alarm went off at three in the morning. My roommates woke me up and made me get out of bed. I walked outside with a blanket around me because it was so cold out,” Cheyenne Burkeholder said.
“This year in West somebody was playing with the fire extinguisher and the building was evacuated because of the chemicals. It took forever before we could go back inside,” Kyisha Bright said.
