New state law requires 31 campus buildings to practice routine fire drill annually

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The university is running fire drills in 31 buildings on campus after the state House of Representatives approved a Michigan law that requires at least one drill annually per building.

“We want people to understand how to evacuate in the event of a real emergency or a real fire,” said Caren Pankow, safety administrator of Central Michigan University’s risk management environmental and safety services. “When students or faculty hear a fire drill, they need to take it seriously.”

The 31 buildings do not include residence halls, but only state buildings, such as the Student Activity Center, Charles V. Park Library and Indoor Athletic Complex. Also included are classroom buildings.

On Friday, university officials completed fire drills in Anspach Hall, Pearce Hall, Brooks Hall and Moore Hall, as well as the Music Building.

The Dow Science Complex also was on Friday’s checklist, but the anticipated fire drill scheduled for 1:30 p.m. was not necessary after a real building evacuation occurred. The university shut the building down after a faculty member spilled a flammable chemical on their foot on the third floor Friday morning.

Some students who had classes in Dow Science Complex at the time were displeased with instructors and procedures.

Faculty members told Mason sophomore Jared Clapsaddle to leave his personal items in the classroom, under the impression it was only a practice fire drill.

He and his class stood in the hallway at first, until police asked them to leave the building.

“The police yelled at us to get out quickly,” Clapsaddle said. “We definitely just thought it was just a drill. Looking back on this, people definitely need to take it more seriously — drills that is. I wouldn’t be waiting for my stuff in the rain if that was the case.”

Coldwater sophomore David Bailey was in a physics class on the first floor when the fire alarm sounded.

He said, especially in a science building, it is important for people to react quickly and leave the building without hesitation.

“It’s not as easy as spraying down a chemical fire with water,” he said. “If you do that, the building could blow up. One drop of a vase and the building could be shut down for five hours. Students need to be aware of that. They need to get out when a fire alarm goes off.”

Sgt. Michael Dunham of the Mount Pleasant Fire Department said the students in Dow did not take their items which, although problematical for students who leave backpacks, purses or laptops in classrooms, it is exactly what is expected in any real situation.

The average response time for any fire alarm on campus, Dunham said, is about four to five minutes.

“They did not try to grab anything,” he said. “What people need to take advantage of is the maps inside of the buildings on campus.

This is probably more for freshmen who aren’t familiar with the exits, or where they should go.

“People usually just walk by the maps without looking on how to evacuate. Take the time, read the maps.”