Since I’ve been here at Penn State, we have had two fire alarms. The fire alarms happen when you least expect them. Sometimes you may be eating, sleeping, or even taking a shower. I’ve witnessed people stay on the floor in their room as one is happening. DO NOT DO THAT. I know they occur often, but you never really know if there is really a fire or not. The point of a fire alarm is to prepare you for a real fire.
The number of reported fires in the dormitory occupancy group increased 18% from 3,200 in 1980 to 3,780 in 2011. These fires caused an annual average of 2 civilian deaths, 30 civilian fire injuries, and $9.4 million in direct property damage. You will lower these statistics by taking fire alarms more serious. Do not ignore fire alarms, it’ s in the best interest of your safety.
http://www.nfpa.org/safety-information/for-consumers/occupancies/campus-and-dorm-fires
Great point, Chelcey! You can never be too safe. It would only be in your best intentions to abide by the fire alarm even if its inconvenient (like in the shower). I hope more people start to follow it!
I’ve seen people do that too! It’s ridiculous because the drills really don’t take very long, and you never know if there is a real fire. It’s important to be educated on fire safety and take the fire alarms seriously.
Wow, I can’t believe people were actually staying in the dorms during a fire drill! That’s so incredibly stupid and dangerous. People need to be more educated about fire safety and take it more seriously because unfortunately, fires can and do happen in the dorms. One of these days the fire alarm might go off for a real fire and everyone needs to be prepared.
I really think that fire safety is very important because many people die and have serious injuries due to not being knowledgeable about fire safety. It is very easy to learn about fire safety and people should absolutely take precautions.