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Campus Fire Safety

By Heidi LeCount, Director of Residence Life

 

While it seems like only days ago that your daughter moved into her new home for the academic year, she and other Meredith students have participated in many activities designed to acclimate her to a new year at Meredith. Every Meredith student, whether they live on or off campus, should be aware of fire safety in her living environment and community.

 

In the residence halls and Oaks apartments, the College does provide a number of fire safety measures for on-campus residents. These include:

  • Automatic door closures on residence hall room doors and hallway/stairwell doors and on Oaks apartment doors
  • Metal trashcans with lids in the parlors, laundry rooms and community spaces
  • Smoke detectors in every residence hall room and campus apartment
  • Fire extinguishers are available in all areas and floors of the residence halls and Oaks apartments
  • Combustible items and fire hazards are prohibited in campus housing
  • Health and Safety inspections are conducted in every resident room and campus apartment each semester
  • During Orientation, first year students and transfer residents attend a Health and Safety presentation which covers fire safety and how to be a partner with residence life in preventing campus fires
  • Resident Assistants and Residence Directors along with the Oaks student staff and the Apartment Manager are trained by Ron Campbell, Raleigh Fire Prevention Coordinator, on fire safety/prevention and how to properly use a fire extinguisher

 

In an effort to prepare residents for an emergency, fire drills are conducted two times a semester. The first fire drills were held on Tuesday, August 30 with excellent results – residents exited their residence halls and all buildings were evacuated within three minutes. This is important because within three minutes of a real fire, the smoke could be so thick and black that it would make evacuation difficult.

 

No matter where your daughter lives, she should be mindful of fire safety. Ron Campbell tells students to always know two ways out – whether they are in a restaurant, movie theater or a community event. This can be the difference between getting hurt and getting out. Residents are also encouraged to locate the closest fire extinguisher to their living space in case there is a need to use one. The health and safety of resident students is a top priority of Residence Life at Meredith College. Please encourage your student to be prepared and aware of fire safety.
 
For more information about campus fire safety, visit campus-firewatch.com/ and www.pbfeducation.org/courses/igot2kno. Both resources have information about fire safety and prevention and stories about campus fires.