Several emergency alarms sounded in Stouffer College House over Thanksgiving break, adding to a long stream of alarms that have gone off in the building since the start of the semester.
None of the alarms have been prompted by a major fire this semester. Concerns have been raised about the number of students who refuse to evacuate the building.
"I wish they'd do something about it, because I feel like nothing's been done to fix the situation and it's been a problem" since the start of the year, Stouffer resident and College sophomore Rafael Garcia said.
Garcia, who remained on campus over Thanksgiving break, observed that only eight residents out of the 26 students who stayed in Stouffer actually evacuated during the latest alarm, which went off at 3:52 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 26.
There have been so many alarms that now that "when [the house] actually has fire drills, some kids don't leave," Nursing freshman Lauren Schleicher said.
According to Locust Area Director for Facilities and Real Estate Services Betsy Robinson, one of the alarms was caused by the shutdown of the annunciator panels in the building's basement, which is currently being renovated.
When the panels, which are used to disclose the layout and status of a building's alarm systems, were turned back on, the alarms were triggered.
Two other alarms sounded in Mayer Hall over break, including one on Nov. 24 at 2:24 a.m. that was triggered by a student's improper use of a fire extinguisher.
The next day, an alarm sounded in the afternoon after a resident overcooked food.
Stouffer Dean Michele Grab said that officials are aware of the potential hazard of repeated alarms and are implementing ways to make sure that students evacuate in a timely manner.
"What we've been doing is telling people that they have to leave and that if the Fire Department or Public Safety finds them in the building, that violates the city of Philadelphia law ... and that could have repercussions for them," Grab said.
Grab noted that the high volume of the new alarm has been instrumental in getting students out of the building.
"To stay in your room is more detrimental than to leave [because] the new alarm is really loud," Grab said.
Lior Agam, a Wharton sophomore and member of the newly created "People Who Absolutely Hate Stouffer Fire Alarms" group on thefacebook.com, said that though many residents continue to be inconvenienced by the alarms, the situation has become a source of comedy in the house.
"It's just funny at this point how ridiculous this is," Agam said.
Director of Penn's Fire and Emergency Services Ted Bateman said that the Division of Public Safety understands the inconvenience caused by the alarms, many of which have gone off in the early morning. Nevertheless, Bateman said that it is essential for all residents to evacuate.
He noted that disciplinary actions, including a mandatory fire safety education session, were enforced last month after two Hamilton College House residents refused to leave during one of the building's evacuations.
Bateman said that the University follows a three-prong strategy for emergency alarms, which involves understanding the engineering aspects of the alarms, educating students about emergency protocol and enforcing the rules.
