Unexplained Fire Alarms Frustrate Students Across Campus

Fire alarms in multiple buildings on Loyola’s Lake Shore Campus have gone off unannounced through the first weeks of classes. Students have grown frustrated with the disturbances and lack of explanation from the university.

Alexis Maxwell, a first-year student living in San Francisco Hall, said she was in the building when the fire alarms went off.

“It’s a little inconvenient because they keep happening and no one knows why so we can’t really talk about it and solve the problem,” Maxwell said. “It would probably be useful to send out an email.”

Manuel Esquivel, assistant director of operations from the Department of Residence Life, did provide a description of what to do in the case of an alarm going off unexpectedly in a statement to The Phoenix.

“Monday the 20 was our first drill,” Esquivel wrote in an email to The Phoenix. “Any alarms which happened before or after the drills are considered an active fire alarm and we ask the residents to evacuate immediately.”

Esquivel also wrote one fire drill is conducted for each of the residence halls on campus each semester. 

“We do drills so residents are aware of the process of where to go in the event of a fire,” Esquivel wrote. “Further, we time the drills to make sure an appropriate time is met when conducting the drills.” 

Esquivel further elaborated the goal is to have all students out of a building within five minutes of the fire alarm first going off. 

A majority of the unplanned fire alarms which have gone off on campus were set off due to burning food, according to Esquivel.

Matt McDermott, associate director of external communications for Loyola, wrote in a separate statement students should evacuate the building in the case of a fire alarm, closing the doors as they leave.

“In the event of a fire alarm, Campus Safety assists in the evacuation of a building, helps facilities determine if the alarm is bonafide, and directs any responding units to the location,” McDermott wrote.

The university didn’t reply to requests from The Phoenix to disclose in which buildings fire alarms have unexpectedly gone off or offer any information surrounding the specific reason behind each fire alarm event. 

Campus Safety did not respond to a request for comments regarding the frequent occurrence of the fire alarms on campus. 

Julia Butkus, a first-year film major who lives in Francis Hall said she was in class on the first floor of the residence hall when a fire alarm went off unexpectedly. Butkus said the alarm went off at 9:30 a.m., and lasted for 10 or 15 minutes. She also said although her class was disrupted, her professor continued to teach outside after the building had evacuated. 

Butkus found the lack of communication from the university inconvenient. 

“I think [an explanation] would be nice,” Butkus said. “I know San Fran has had a ton and I know Mundelein has had a few as well and you kind of just want to know if there is an issue with the alarms or if it’s an actual emergency.”

Mia Ohlund, a first-year finance major who lives in San Francisco Hall, said she was annoyed by the situation and said for one of the fire alarms, students were not let back into the building for over an hour. 

Ohlund said she was doing homework when the fire alarm went off the second time at about 10:30 p.m., and she thought it would be quick, so she didn’t take her bag with her. By the time residents were allowed back into the building, it was past 11 p.m. and she had lost all of her study time for the night.

DJ Brown, a first-year undecided student who lives in San Francisco Hall, expressed disappointment in the university’s communication with students on the reasoning behind the unplanned fire evacuations.

“They didn’t tell us jack,” Brown said. “I would like some transparency. I mean I get it, but it shouldn’t be too hard to issue an announcement.”

Marie Delaney, a third-year political science student was in class in Mundelein when the fire alarms went off at 1:18 p.m. on Sept. 14.  

“It was really frightening, so a little bit of reassurance as to what went down and reassurance for our safety would have been nice.”

Delaney also said it took about ten minutes for everyone in the buildings to be able to evacuate. 

Maxwell said she is irritated by the fact the fire alarms could have been caused by students.

“More towards the students, think about what you are doing,” Maxwell said. “It is really inconvenient to have so many fire alarms especially as a freshman because you are still trying to figure everything out.”

Featured image by Heather Higgins | The Phoenix