EmergenciesFire Safety Information
Due to the heightened awareness of the importance of fire safety in the wake of the tragedy at Seton Hall University, we prepared a summary of the current fire prevention program at Wellesley.
Throughout the years Wellesley College has taken the initiative to update many facility systems in order to provide a safe environment for students and staff. We appreciate your concern when it comes to fire safety and hopefully this posting can answer your questions.
All of the residence halls have sprinkler systems (with the exception of 2 of the smaller houses) and smoke detectors. There are smoke detectors in each student room which alarm locally. The smoke detectors in the common areas are connected to the central alarm system which, in turn, is directly connected to the Town of Wellesley Fire Department and to our Campus Police Department. Four fire drills (evacuations) are required by the Wellesley Fire Department throughout the academic year.
Every dorm has a student acting as a "Fire Chief." These individuals receive training during the year and are required to conduct biweekly inspections of the residence halls, communicate safety concerns to hall residents during regularly scheduled meetings and participate in scheduled fire drills. In addition, the Heads of House and Resident Assistants receive training every year.
The Town of Wellesley Fire Department (WFD) supports various campus activities and works closely with the College for continued improvements in the area of fire prevention. The WFD, being stationed on the edge of the campus, responds within minutes of all alarms. Typically Wellesley College experiences false alarms due to smoke activating a smoke detector from overcooked popcorn or other cooking activities in the student kitchenette areas. This is atypical as compared to other institutions where deliberate acts, such as pulling the fire alarm, account for a number of false alarms.
The College requires complete evacuation of buildings during any alarm event and will discipline/fine students for noncompliance. Since false alarms may lead to lower evacuation response from students, the College will continue to analyze the causes of the false alarms and work to reduce their occurrence. With the ongoing reduction of false alarms, we hope to maintain students diligence when it comes to their response to all alarms.