Each Residence Hall is equipped with fire safety equipment including smoke and/or smoke detectors, fire extinguishers and fire alarm systems.

The safety of the community is everyone’s responsibility, and equipment and facilities are maintained to enhance safety. It is absolutely prohibited to tamper with any safety equipment. Deliberately causing a fire alarm, falsely reporting a fire or a bomb threat, setting a fire, possessing highly combustible materials, vandalizing any fire protection system or misusing any piece of fire equipment (fire extinguisher, pull stations, pull station cover boxes, bells, smoke detectors and sprinklers) are all acts that will be referred to a University hearing officer for adjudication. Violators will be subjected to the most severe University discipline, and in some cases, municipal civil actions: “Disabling or vandalizing any fire suppression or alarm system…a maximum of $1,000 per occupant.” (N.J.A.C. 5:18-2.13)

Regulations

Personal Belongings must not be placed in halls, stairwell, building vestibules, or on fire escapes. Items are also prohibited from being placed behind the doors of rooms. The obstruction of the pathway out of a room will hamper the evacuation of the building.

Jeanne Cleary Act

The Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, codified at 20 USC 1092 (f) as a part of the Higher Education Act of 1965, is a federal law that requires colleges and universities to disclose certain timely and annual information about campus crime and security policies. All public and private post secondary educational institutions participating in federal student aid programs are subject to it.

The complete text of the Clery Act is available on the Security On Campus, Inc. web site at http://www.campussafety.org/ as are the implementing regulations published by the U.S. Department of Education.

Bike Storage

Riding bicycles in housing or around campus facilities is not allowed.

SPRINKLER SYSTEM INFORMATION

All of the University’s residence halls (Co-op Hall, Vodra Hall, and 2040 University Apartments) are equipped with automatic sprinkler systems. Do not hang or drape items on the sprinkler heads or pipes. Sprinkler heads should not be blocked with any furniture or wall coverings. Do not tamper with sprinkler heads because such action can trigger an accidental water flow and result in significant damage to the building and belongings. Wardrobe closets must not be placed directly beneath sprinkler heads.

State laws, as well as University policies make it illegal for any person to tamper with fire safety equipment. The university takes these laws seriously and imparts severe disciplinary action against all offenders.

We encourage all resident students to apply for fire insurance. This will ensure financial coverage to valuable items (i.e. instruments, computers, etc.) that are brought into the residence halls. Theft/ Fire insurance information can be obtained through the Office of Residence Life or by contacting National Student Services, INC.

EVACUATION PROCEDURE

Emergency Evacuation

-  All students will evacuate the buildings immediately in the event of a fire or alarm and shall comply with evacuation procedures. Evacuation routes have been posted on inside of each door in all three residential halls. Failure to comply with the fire procedures/regulations shall be subject to disciplinary actions.

-  If students encounter heat and/or pressure in the hallway, leave the room, carefully closing the door and proceed to the nearest exit/stairwell.

-  Always use the stairs to evacuate the building; never use the elevator during a fire or fire alarm.

-  If students encounter smoke, they are to take short breaths through your nose and stay close to the floor; crawl, if possible.

-  Once outside the building, wait on the opposite side of the building until called by University officials.

-  Disabled persons who require assistance in evacuating should stay near their doors until assistance arrives. EvaU-Trac chairs are available for safe evacuation from the building. Remember, students are not expected to fight fires.

Fire Safety

The number of appliances plugged in at any one time should be carefully monitored. Extension cords are not permitted in residence hall rooms. Use of approved multi - power strips with circuit breakers is acceptable and encouraged, as they decrease the possibility of an electrical fire. The Office of Residence Life and Office of Public Safety reserve the right to limit the use of certain appliances if a safety concern results. Health and safety guidelines must be adhered to at all times.

Candles and incense are fire hazard and as such may not be burned in the Residence Halls. Streamers and other decorations are permitted as long as they do not connect two doors together or hang in the hallways; these also constitute fire hazards. Also, items cannot be hung or attached to fire sprinkler devices or smoke detectors. The following articles are prohibited in the Residence Halls.

*Non-Institutional Furniture: No couches, chairs, futons or other upholstered furniture are permitted in University housing unless a resident can provide manufacturers’ certification that the furniture meets California Technical Bulletin 133 for fire retardancy of upholstered furniture