Fire alarms were triggered recently in Centennial Hall. Campus police and the director of housing are investigating the situation.
EDITORIAL NOTE: Photo is staged, not real.
Students staying at the University of Memphis’ newest dorm have access to many luxuries: private study areas, two smart classrooms, a downstairs kitchen and even green spaces, but residents are struggling to get a full night’s sleep.Â
Since the beginning of the semester about eight or nine fire alarms have gone off randomly in Centennial Place. Just this week, Centennial students had to evacuate at 2 a.m. both Sunday and Monday, and another alarm went off early Wednesday.
“It sucks because it seems like the alarms go off every time I’m about to go to bed,†biomedical engineering freshman James Courtney said. “The last one went off at like 12:45 last night. I would just sleep through the alarms, but they make us leave the building every time it goes off.â€
Freshman Antonio Scott, a communications major and Emerging Leader, felt the need to send an email to U of M President M. David Rudd regarding the multiple fire alarms set off at Centennial Place since he moved in Aug. 18.
“The multitude of alarms have negatively affected my outlook on campus housing,†the 18-year-old said. “I have reached out to resident advisors in the building.â€
Scott said in his email he and his peers were frustrated by the constant alarms going off.
“Many have dissuaded themselves from staying on campus as a direct result of the alarms after next semester, as our scholarship requires us to live on campus for one academic year,†he said in his email to Rudd. “My classmates and I feel that as we have paid to live in the most expensive dorm on campus, matters as such shouldn’t be so common. We feel that our dorm should not only serve as a living quarters but a place where we can study for classes. Having to forcefully exit the building prevents that from occurring.â€
Rudd responded to Scott in 29 minutes.
“I’ve copied the interim director of housing, along with several people from my office, including Chief Operations Officer Bruce Harber,†Rudd said in the email. “We’ll get to the bottom of it and get it resolved.â€
Even with Rudd’s reply, Scott said no one has personally told him why the alarms kept going off.
“There are rumors that have been going around,†Scott said. “It could be a technical and an electrical issue, or that someone is going around and pulling the alarms for the fun of it.â€
Harber had some ideas to try to eliminate the issue. “We have not been able to detect a pattern in the alarms activated by the smoke detectors,†Harber said in an email. “In the latest incident early [Wednesday] morning, it was reported that candles burning in a room activated the smoke detectors.â€
Harber said plastic covers would be installed on the fire alarm pull stations “as soon as possible.†Harber, who has served a few different roles with the university since January 2000, said this method has been effective in reducing random alarms from going off in the past.
“We may be able to make a programming change,†Harber said. “That will reduce unnecessary alarms without endangering the safety of our student-residents.â€
Harber said the issue should be resolved soon, and students living in Centennial Place will receive an update on the actions being taken to fix the alarms. “The covers have been located locally and should be installed by next week,†Harber said. “The verification programming system was examined today, and modifications should also be completed within that timeframe.â€
Until then, students like volleyball player Allison Grzebien, another biomedical engineering major, will have to live with the alarms “messing with†her sleep schedule. “I have practice, so I have to get up at like 5:30 every morning,†she said. “I can’t sleep or study in peace because of these stupid alarms going off.â€
