Fire & Electrical Safety Guide for Residence Halls

University Housing is in the process of a multi-year program of upgrading fire and life safety systems in the residence halls, but ensuring that residence halls are as safe as possible is everyone’s responsibility. We encourage residents to be familiar with the information below so that they are prepared for emergencies and can help maintain the safety of the residence hall community.

Here is a summary of the most important things you can do to protect yourself and others:

• If you hear an alarm, evacuate the building immediately.
• If you suspect a fire, sound the alarm and evacuate. Call 911.
• If smoke or fire prevents your evacuation, stay in the room and call 911.
• Report all damaged/vandalized fire safety equipment to the Department of Public Safety at 763-1131.

What you can do to reduce fire hazards and prevent fire emergencies:

Prepare for emergencies
It’s important to be prepared in the event of an emergency. Identify where the fire exits nearest your room are located. Read the evacuation sign on the back of your room’s door, and visualize and practice your escape route.

Keep fire doors closed
Your residence hall has many fire doors that are designed to prevent fire or smoke from spreading. Never prop or wedge these doors open. Open fire doors cannot do their job of limiting a fire from spreading. Some halls have fire doors that are designed to close and latch automatically in the event of a fire. These doors are labeled and should be left in their normal position.

Do not tamper with fire-fighting equipment
Tampering with, inappropriately discharging, or vandalizing any fire-fighting equipment—smoke detectors, sprinklers, hoses, pull stations—endangers your life and the lives of others, as well. It is also a serious violation of your residence hall contract and of State of Michigan law, and will result in violators being subject to both the University disciplinary process, and criminal or civil prosecution. Promptly report any damaged fire-fighting equipment to the Department of Public Safety by calling 763-1131.

The smoke detector in your room is hard-wired to your hall’s alarm system and has a battery-powered backup. Never tamper with, cover, paint or remove anything from the smoke detector. When you deactivate the smoke detector in your room, you are not only making a decision to endanger your own safety, you endanger the safety of everyone around you.

Never make a false fire alarm
Nothing does more harm to fire safety in residence halls than pulling a false alarm. It can lead to residents assuming that any alarm is false and if they do not evacuate the building, they endanger themselves and others if the alarm represents an actual fire.

Pulling a false fire alarm is against state law. Residents found responsible for a false alarm will have their residence hall contract terminated and will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

Locate the fire extinguisher
You are never expected to fight a fire. Your only job in case of a fire is to pull the alarm and get out of the building. Be aware, however, that there are fire extinguishers on every corridor. It is a good idea to familiarize yourself with the locations of these extinguishers.

Adhere to policy regarding prohibited items
All of the items listed below have resulted in incidents of significant safety hazards, fire, or life-threatening situations at Michigan or at other campuses in the U.S. Consequently, possession of any of these items in a resident room is considered a serious breach of your residence hall contract.

The following items are prohibited in all residence hall rooms at all times:

• air-conditioners*
• any appliance with an exposed heating element
• any open flame source
• candles
• coffeemakers without automatic shutoff
• cut trees, branches, greens
• drug/smoking paraphernalia
• electric blankets
• electric skillets
• explosives
• firearms
• fireworks
• fog machines
• grills
• halogen lamps or bulbs
• heating pads without automatic shutoff
• hot-oil popcorn poppers
• hotplates
• incense
• irons without automatic shutoff
• oil lamps
• microwaves (more than 800 watts)
• refrigerators (more than 5.5 cubic foot capacity and/or amperage draw of more than 1.5)
• sleeping pods
• slow cookers (hotpots)
• space heaters
• sunlamps
• toasters
• toaster ovens
• warmers for candles or oils
• warm-mist humidifiers
• waterbeds or waterchairs

*not installed by University Housing

See Community Living at Michigan for more information about prohibited items.

Adhere to electrical safety policy
Residence hall rooms are all wired with standard rated voltage of 120.

Be sure that any electrical appliance or equipment, including cords and power strips, is UL-certified to help prevent power outages and fire hazards. Use all appliances and equipment according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Exercise care in not using too many appliances at the same time; overloaded circuits may result in loss of power in the room and increase the risk of fire hazards. Microwaves, hair dryers and similar appliances should not be used on any circuit which habitually trips your room’s circuit breakers.

Use extension cords of 16 gauge or lower and power strips with an integrated (built-in) circuit-breaker to prevent potential fire hazards and damage to the building’s electrical system. It is also recommended that power strips have a surge protection device, to help prevent damage to students’ personal property from fluctuations in the flow of electricity.

Do not alter prongs of polarized plugs to make them fit an outlet.

Do not overload electrical outlets. If a wall socket or extension cord is warm to the touch, it is overloaded.

Do not “daisy chain” (string together) cords, connectors and plugs.

Do not run appliance or extension cords under carpeting, rugs or furniture, where they can be walked on or pinched. Heat can build up and start a fire. In addition, cords can be frayed and expose wires, which can also result in a fire.

Never cover lamps with clothing, paper, drapes or other things that can burn.

What to do in a fire emergency

Evacuate if a fire alarm sounds
Take all fire alarms seriously and evacuate the building immediately—always. If an alarm sounds, there is a strong possibility of a fire in the building. Evacuate using the nearest fire exits and proceed to a safe distance away from the building. In an alarm situation, evacuation is not optional.

Sound the alarm if you suspect a fire
If you see a fire, smell smoke or are otherwise made aware of a fire in the building, go to the nearest fire alarm pull-station and activate the alarm. Evacuate the building and proceed to a safe location away from the building. Call 911.

If you are blocked by smoke or fire, stay in your room and dial 911
If you cannot evacuate safely because of smoke or fire blocking your way, stay in your room, close the door and dial 911. Let the dispatcher know where you are. A rolled up towel at the base of the door can help prevent smoke from entering the room. A towel soaked in water works even better. If your phone is not functioning, hang a sheet or light colored towel out of your room’s window.

If you have a cell phone, dial (734) 763-1131 for Department of Public Safety dispatch.

Important Telephone Numbers

• Department of Public Safety and Housing Security
• Emergency: 911
• Non-Emergency Officer Response: 763-1131
• Housing Security General Info: 764-6185
• Public Safety General Info: 763-3434
  

For more information, see Safety and Security.

Revised 6/06