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Meredith College Fire Safety Precautions

While it seems like only days ago that your daughter moved into her new residence 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 she lives on or off campus, should be aware of fire safety in her living environment and community.

In the residence halls and Oaks apartments, there are several things the College does to provide 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

In addition to the information above, Resident Assistants and Residence Directors along with the Oaks Community Assistants and the Apartment Manager are trained by Raleigh Fire Department personnel regarding fire safety/prevention and proper use of a fire extinguisher.  This year, Jason Boggs, Deputy Fire Marshal for Raleigh Fire Department and David Morrison from Fess Fire Protection provided the training.

In an effort to prepare residents for an emergency, fire drills are conducted two times a semester. The first fire drills were held in early September 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. Students should always know two ways out – whether they are in a restaurant, movie theater or at 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.

Fire Prevention Week is October 6 – 12, 2019.

For more information about campus fire safety, visit campus-firewatch.com.

Melyssa Allen

News Director
316 Johnson Hall
(919) 760-8087
Fax: (919) 760-8330

allenme@meredith.edu