Elm Hall fire alarms fail to sound
By Kailey Spencer | Features editor
A kitchen fire at Augusta University’s Elm Hall initiated an emergency response from first responders on Friday, Aug. 28.
There were no injuries, but the incident raised concerns about student safety after the dormitory’s fire alarm system did not sound.
Augusta University released the following statement about the incident:
“A small kitchen fire in Elm Hall on Aug. 28 prompted a response from emergency personnel. The fire alarm system successfully alerted first responders; however, the audible alarm did not sound inside the building during the incident. The fire was quickly extinguished, no injuries were reported, and the reason the audible alarm did not sound remains under investigation.
Augusta University's Fire Marshal, in partnership with Housing and Residence Life, conducts quarterly fire drills in all residence halls in accordance with Clery Act requirements and as part of the university's ongoing commitment to resident safety and emergency preparedness. The most recent fire drill was conducted in June, and the next is scheduled for later this month. Following the Aug. 28 incident, and again on Sept. 2, a certified third-party fire alarm service company inspected, tested and verified the fire alarm systems in both Elm Hall and Oak Hall as fully operational.”
An Elm Hall resident who wished to remain anonymous shared her own experience of the incident.
“The RA’s told us they pulled three fire alarms, and none of them rang on any floor, so they had to come and bang on our doors to tell us,” she said.
According to the student, there was also some initial confusion during the emergency response. First responders were dispatched to Oak Hall, where students were mistakenly evacuated, before officials determined that the fire was in Elm Hall.
Elm and Oak Hall are located next to each other on Augusta University’s Health Science Campus, across the street from the Dental College of Georgia.
Elm Hall residents were evacuated around 3 p.m. and allowed to return a couple hours later.
“They texted us around 5:30 that it was safe to go back in,” the student said.
The student noted that she did not see any visible damage upon re-entering the residential building, but that a “smoky smell” lingered in the hallways.
Contact Kailey Spencer at kaispencer@augusta.edu.
Augusta University’s Elm Hall. (photo by Kailey Spencer/the Bell Ringer)
