First a flash of light, next an interesting sound, then a total evacuation of the Bachmann Building. Monday, January 23rdwas far from a typical afternoon on campus. The obscure sound that echoed through the halls was a backup sound for the fire alarm. According to Campus Safety Systems Manager Charles Campbell, the sound bite Neumann regularly uses had a glitch, which resulted in the backup sound being utilized. Due to this glitch, the fire department is working to resolve the problem.
Campbell explained that the alarm went off because someone was smoking in the bathroom on the ground floor of Bachmann, near the computer labs. Campbell has been in his position since 2001 and this is the first time he can recall people having to evacuate Bachmann because someone was smoking.
Few people were concerned about the sound. They were simply curious what it meant since they had never heard that alarm sound in the past. Junior Rachel Meehan was in class when the incident occurred and mentioned that every student looked around with questioning eyes, wondering what the protocol was for the unusual noise.
According to Campbell, the protocol for any public place, when a fire alarm sounds, is to exit the building immediately. Next move far away from the building so if firefighters come, they can easily get through and take care of the problem at hand. He reminds all students and employees if you ever see flashing lights or hear an alarm of any kind in a campus building, this is a sign to evacuate.
In terms of contacting the fire department, there is a system to be followed. In this instance some mistakes occurred. Campbell shared that Neumann just changed its fire alarm monitoring company. “The company made a mistake by dispatching the fire department before contacting Neumann. Normally the company would call Neumann first and then Neumann would be the ones to call the fire department,” stated Campbell.
Even with all the chaos and confusion, the situation was dealt with in a timely manner and students/employees were able to reenter the building to finish their classes and go about their day. In the end the dilemma became a funny memory for all those involved, and anyone who did experience the fire alarm fluke cannot complain that nothing interesting happened on campus on January 23, 2023.
Erin Donovan
