Fire Code Violations Cover Campus
Recent dorm room inspections by Campus Safety have revealed that fire safety violations are widespread among Exonians. Upon arriving at Exeter, students decorate and furnish their dorm rooms with various items which provide comfort, convenience and coziness. However, while doing so, Exonians often forget to consider the possibility of these items starting a fire in their dorm. Despite warnings from dorm heads, many boarders do not take the issue of fire safety violation seriously.
Exeter’s fire safety code requires that all furniture not provided by the Academy be fire rated and assigned with an appropriate fire tag. All furniture must be flame resistant, and therefore, items such as bean bags are prohibited. Devices that produce heat are also in violation of Exeter’s fire code. For example, refrigerators are strictly prohibited; however, electronic coolers are an effective alternative approved by Campus Safety. Fire code restrictions additionally forbid students from lighting candles or incense in their rooms and require that all tapestries and flags are attached by every corner to the wall. In addition, nothing can be hung from sprinkler heads or pipes. Students must also make sure that their room is orderly so that in the event of a fire they are able to leave quickly and safely.
Campus Safety conducts fire safety inspections two to three times every year. The results of these checks are alarming. McConnell Hall, for example, had 25 out of 34 rooms identified as unsafe during an inspection in November. Langdell Hall had 23 violations reported during an inspection in December. According to Tegan Vassillion, the Environmental Health and Safety Manager of Campus Safety, the top five violations found in dormitories this year include decorative lights (147 incidents), furniture not adhering to NH State Fire Code (144), hot pots (82), refrigerators (74) and items hanging from sprinkler heads or pipes (46).
"Violations are often things that are hip—Christmas lights, tapestries [and] flowy posters"
Most Exonians, however, are not surprised by this prevalence of fire code violations. Senior Julia Friberg said that, “It hasn’t been really enforced in previous years, so I think we have a culture of just keeping things up and thinking the problem would go away.” In fact, since the inspection in November, McConnell Hall has not yet been inspected by Campus Safety again, although it is written in the E-Book on page 40 that, “three days will be given to comply before a room is reinspected.” Many boarders of McConnell Hall reported that they still see some of the fire hazard items in their dormmates’ rooms, although they have been asked by the dorm head to get rid of them. Although the E-Book specifies that Campus Safety must notify students as well as dorm heads and the Dean of Students if a student is in violation of the fire code, Langdell dorm faculty Lundy Smith has noticed in his tenure that, “students usually get a warning from their dorm head or advisor, not from Campus Safety.” The student is then supposed to get rid of the item that violates the code, and usually, students follow the warning. However, Friberg felts that inspections are “a waste of everyone’s time” as it is, and “nearly impossible to enforce” the fire code. As a proctor of McConnell Hall, the E-Book notes that Friberg is expected to act when she becomes aware of any fire hazard. However, she readily admitted that she has never done that because she was unaware of this responsibility.
With almost three quarters of McConnell residents having a fire code violation, many wonder why so many students have failed to comply with the fire code. “Everybody has different reasons for [violating the fire code],” upper Jaynee Anaya pointed out. According to Friberg, as “violations are often things that are hip—Christmas lights, tapestries [and] flowy posters,” it is hard for some students to give up “dorm room fashion which is so ingrained in Exeter culture.” It is especially hard for students to follow the rules when fire risks do not seem eminent. Some students, including lower Niko Amber, believed that there are so many fire codes that were made when the technology was less advanced. Anaya also noted that “things that are perceived as necessities have changed,” and as a result some Exonians see many of the fire code violation items as essential assets to their dorm room.
In addition to Campus Safety speaking at new student orientations and required assemblies, more active dialogue is needed between students, faculty and Campus Safety, especially for students to understand and be convinced to follow the fire safety codes. Health instructor and McConnell Hall dorm head Michelle Soucy explained, “We can work on finding a better balance of having things we need and want in our room and being safe about it.”
In the spirit of this effort, Campus Safety is currently evaluating the ban of decorative lights in the E-Book, which is the rule most violated by Exonians. Vassillion explained that traditional decorative lights generate heat and added that the manner in which the lights are secured is usually not the safest. For example, it is unsafe to have tacks through the cords of the lights to attach them to the wall, or to have the lights pinched between doors. However, with the LED lights and battery operated lights now being manufactured, Vassillion explained that Campus Safety is looking at ways to potentially modify this for next year.
Anaya emphasized that Exonians should take into full consideration why these fire codes exist. She urged Exonians to be mindful of their decisions on fire safety, whether they comply with the fire codes or not.