Columbia University Introduces Fire Guards to Campus

Columbia University Introduces Fire Guards to Campus

Following a string of false alarms, Columbia has stationed public safety officers in the East Campus residence hall.

  • By Sydny Shepard
  • September 20, 2018

The safety of Columbia University's East Campus residence hall was called into question after a string of false fire alarms. Students in the building became numb to the alarms and began ignoring them rather than evacuating the building safely each time the alarms were triggered.

The university believes condensation in the wiring of the building, among other things, are the culprits behind the false alarms. In order to cut down on the alarms being triggered in a non-emergency, the New York university has elected to station public safety officers in the residence hall 24 hours a day to serve as "fire guards," according to an email that was sent to East Campus residents by Columbia Housing, Residential Life and Fire Safety.

The email announced that the Fire Guards would be on hand 24/7 to immediately investigate every smoke detector that goes off. If the guard "finds smoke or fire conditions" they will manually activate the alarm bell system to signal the evacuation of the building. If there is a false detection, the fire guards will forego the alarm bell system and leave the residence hall undisturbed.

The email stated that the Fire Guards were a temporary solution to the problem. Housing and Fire Safety officials have begun planning meetings with EC residents to discuss issues with the alarms and to find a more permanent solution.

About the Author

Sydny Shepard is the Executive Editor of Campus Security & Life Safety.

Featured

  • California School District Modernizes Surveillance System

    i-PRO Co., Ltd. (formerly Panasonic Security), a provider of professional security solutions for surveillance and public safety, recently announced that the Murietta Valley Unified School District (MVUSD) in Riverside County, CA, has undertaken a project to modernize its first-generation surveillance system to new high-resolution i-PRO network cameras, and the i-PRO Video Insight video management system (VMS). Read Now

  • RAD Makes History with First Robotic Dog Deployed to Taylor Police Department

    Robotic Assistance Devices, Inc. (RAD), a subsidiary of Artificial Intelligence Technology Solutions, Inc., recently announced that it has delivered a RADDOG LE to the Taylor, Michigan Police Department. The delivery of RADDOG LE to the Taylor Police Department marks a historic moment in the integration of technology within law enforcement. This milestone underscores RAD’s commitment to revolutionizing the landscape of security and public safety through cutting-edge AI-powered, robotic solutions. Read Now

  • Passing the Test

    The discussion about secured access and access control for higher education and K-12 is continuously expanding and evolving. That is a good thing. The more knowledge we gain and the more solutions that become available, linked and interoperable, the better and higher the level of security and safety. Read Now

  • Driving a Major Shift

    One of the driving forces for change has been the high demand for unified solutions. Users are asking their vendors for a way to manage all their security systems through a single interface, from a single pane. This has led to a flurry of software development to seamlessly integrate access control systems with video surveillance, intrusion detection, visitor management, health monitoring, analytics with artificial intelligence (AI), and more. Read Now

Most   Popular

Webinars