Fire Safety
At the start of the academic year every student is emailed the fire safety and evacuation memo specific for their particular residence hall. Each student should carefully review the memo and become familiar with the locations of the fire alarm pull stations, fire extinguishers, and fire exits in their residence hall.
When a fire alarm sounds in the building, all occupants of the building are required to evacuate the building in a swift but orderly manner. Biannual fire drills are conducted to assist students in learning what the fire alarms sound like and how to safely execute the information within the memo in the case of an actual emergency.
What to do if I cannot exit my room in the case of a fire?
If a resident is in their room when an alarm sounds they should feel the door to the corridor before opening it. If the door is hot, keep it closed. Cover or stuff clothing in the cracks around the door. Take no unnecessary chances to get out of the room. Unless there is an immediate danger, it may be safer to remain where you are. Residents should hang a sheet out of their window to alert the Fire Department to their location.
If a resident must leave in heavy smoke, they should stay as close to the floor as possible. A wet cloth over their face may aid breathing.
Elevator usage
Residents should never use the elevator when evacuating the building; they should proceed down the stairwells in as orderly a manner as possible, keeping calm.
What to do if you see fire or smell smoke
If a student discovers a fire or a strong smell of smoke, they are to immediately pull the nearest fire alarm pull station. The Chicago Fire Department will respond immediately to all alarms. Upon exiting the building, the resident should find a staff member to report what they observed. This will help the Chicago Fire Department upon arrival.
Elevator Usage
Residents should never use the elevator when evacuating the building; they should proceed down the stairwells in as orderly a manner as possible, keeping calm.
What to do if you see fire or smell smoke
If a student discovers a fire or a strong smell of smoke, they are to immediately pull the nearest fire alarm pull station. The Chicago Fire Department will respond immediately to all alarms. Upon exiting the building, the resident should find a staff member to report what they observed. This will help the Chicago Fire Department upon arrival.
Sprinklers
An automatic fire sprinkler system is one of the most effective methods of controlling or suppressing a fire. Sprinkler systems are made up of a network of pipes in the walls and ceilings that have sprinkler heads providing protection to hallways, rooms, stairways and other areas of a building. Sometimes sprinklers are concealed behind small metal plates in the wall and ceiling. In most cases only one or two sprinkler heads open up in the case of an actual fire.
While sprinklers are very substantial devices, they should not be tampered with, misused, or vandalized. For example, coat hangers should not be hung from a sprinkler head because the hanger may accidentally strike the fusible link element or glass tube and cause the sprinkler head to open. In addition, if a sprinkler head is covered with clothing, this may reduce heat reaching the sprinkler and delay its opening. Throwing items in the air in the vicinity of sprinklers is also problematic as a frisbee or football knocking a head can cause the sprinkler head to open. A sprinkler head will generally flow up to 55 gallons of stagnant water per minute once triggered. Even if there is not a fire, the response time to turn off the flow of water could be 20 minutes or more. In cases, where a student has activated a sprinkler head through vandalism or carelessness, the student will be held financially responsible for the losses suffered by surrounding students and the repair work needed for the building.
UChicago is committed to the safety and security of its students, faculty, staff, and visitors to campus. We ask for students to assist in maintaining the security of the residence hall by:
- Tapping their UChicago ID card on the black access boxes at the building’s main entrance, front desk, and wing doors where necessary
- Not allowing individuals who are unknown to them to enter the building behind them
- Closing doors properly and tightly (no propping)
- Locking their room door (no “bolting” open)
- Reporting any suspicious activity to the front desk clerk
- Under no circumstances should heat detectors, smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, fire hoses, standpipes, or fire sprinklers be tampered with. These are life-safety devices intended for emergency situations. Residents should fill out a work-order request or contact the front desk clerk if any of the equipment malfunctions or needs repair. Likewise, under no circumstances should automatic door closing devices or window screens be removed. Violation of these policies will result in disciplinary action.
- Students are not permitted to go out on the roofs or fire escapes, or any area deemed as a “restricted area” of the residence halls and dining commons except in an emergency. Violations of this policy will result in disciplinary action, including possible expulsion from Housing & Residence Life.
- Suspicious activity should be reported to a resident staff member or the University of Chicago Police Department (UCPD) at once.
ID Tapping
All residents are required to tap their University ID card at the front desk each time they enter their residence hall to verify their identity and residence hall access privileges. Sabbath observant residents can gain access to their residence hall during the Sabbath by stopping at the front desk and providing the front desk clerk with their UChicago ID number, first name, last name and housing assignment. Once the clerk has verified this information, the student will be provided entry to the building.