College Dorm Safety and Preparedness

12/10/2019 (Permalink)

For most college students freshman year is the first time for many that they've lived away from home and subsequently their parents.  We've compiled a list of some helpful tips to make sure your student is prepared for an emergency.  

Learn your buildings evacuation plan.

If you're living on campus, chances are your dorm will have an emergency evacuation plan.  Once you get settled, familiarize yourself with the building and learn the pre-planned evacuation routes.  Practice various routes, and make sure your are familiar with where the posted maps of the facility are.  

Don't overload your room's electrical outlets. 

It's best not to push dorm outlets to their capacity by plugging in too many multi-plug devices.  If you notice any scorched marks or burning smells around an electrical outlet, stop using that outlet and inform someone of the problem right away.  

Cook with care. 

Cooking equipment is involved in 86 percent of dormitory fires.  Be super careful when cooking in your dorm room.  NEVER leave your dorm when cooking appliances are in use. 

Don't tamper with fire safety features in your dorm.  

Most schools don't allow you to smoke or burn candles or incense in your dorm.  Please only smoke in designated areas and never leave a burning candle or incense unattended.  

Don't tamper with fire safety features in your dorm. 

All dorms should have smoke detectors.  It is important that you do not cover them up with decorations.  Also, it's not wise to remove the batteries for any reason.  If your dorm has a sprinkler system in place don't hang any decorations from them.  

Be mindful of clutter and how you decorate your dorm. 

It would be wise to limit the amount of decor you hang in your room as well as to keep clutter to a minimum.  Every poster, every tapestry or piece of decor you hang can be considered a fire hazard.  Also, avoid draping materials over hot items such as lamps that could potentially cause ignition.