JOSH MONIZ STAFF WRITER
Huddled out in the cold, dressed only in pajamas or whatever they could grab, students wait impatiently outside of the Complex, waiting for the security to come and deactive the fire alarm.
This last month, there has been a significant increase in the number of false fire alarms on Wartburg campus. A total of five incidents have been report, one-third of the school yearly average.
“It is always very disconcerting when there are numerous alarms in the same building, within a short period of time. If a student gets tired of being inconvenienced by fire alarms, they may decide to stay in their room rather than evacuate the building. That one decision could cost them their life, if there is an actual fire," Assistant Director of Physical Plant Scott Sharar said.
Most of the false alarms were triggered by dust that had built up in the alarms. In the winter, the lack of air circulation in the resident halls increases the chances of dust build up, said John Myers, Security and Safety Director.
One of the incidents that occurred last month was the discharge of a fire extinguisher on the second floor of Hebron hall. The cost of refilling and recertifying the fire extinguisher was $85. This does not count the time it takes to clean the foam from walls, said Sharar.
Students are becoming impatient with the frequency of the fire alarms, especially those set off intentionally.
“It feels like human stupidity has increased over the last few years. Those that pull the alarms should be serverly punished,” Becky Fishburne said.
Other students offered possible solutions to this problem.
“Something that may help is glass cases on all of the pull alarms. It would cut down on the alarms being set off accidently or by dust. It won’t stop stupid people that do it on purpose, but that’s a bigger problem anyways,” Taylor Sutton said.