Annual Fire Safety and Security Report/Clery Statistics

Campus Fire Safety Right to Know Act

This 2008 law requires institutions of higher education to publicly report fire safety information and statistics. Drew’s report, including fire statistics on campus residences and evacuation procedures, is available at the Department of Campus Security. Fire is defined to mean any instance of open flame or other burning in a place not intended to contain the burning or in an uncontrolled manner.

Smoke detectors, heat sensors, carbon monoxide sensors, sprinklers and fire extinguishers have been strategically placed in all residence halls to protect life and property. Drew’s alarm system is monitored 24 hours a day. In response to an alarm, Campus Security personnel will be dispatched and attempt to respond immediately to any alarm condition. Drew values your privacy as well as your safety. Every attempt will be made to turn off the alarms as soon as it has been ascertained that no danger exists. The Madison Fire Department and/or other available local resources will respond to all alarms within residence halls and are contacted by Drew Campus Security and/or the Central Station Fire Safety Company upon verification of an emergency.

Vandalizing the alarm system, covering smoke detectors or sprinklers, disabling fire sensors, or illegally discharging fire extinguishers are serious offenses. Every effort will be made to identify persons who compromise Campus Security through such acts. Offenders will be referred to the Dean of Students, or designee, for appropriate disciplinary action and/or to local law enforcement.

In compliance with regulations, the Department of Campus Security and the Office of Residence Life conduct fire drills. Drew works with outside vendors to maintain our fire alarm and fire extinguishing systems and hydrants.

Plans for Future Fire Safety Improvements

As systems are fully operational and there are no plans for future fire safety improvements. Ongoing maintenance and updates are standard and in compliance with local, state, and federal mandates.

Prohibited Items in Campus Housing

For a list of items and activities that are prohibited under the student conduct code, please refer to the List of Prohibited Items/Residence Halls in Daniel’s Dictionary.

Reporting Fires

Reports of fires and fire emergencies should be made to Drew Campus Security and to the Madison Fire Department by calling 9-1-1 as soon as possible.

Fire Alarm Evacuation Policy

Fire alarms signal a significant threat to health and safety, and Drew expects all individuals, including students, faculty, and staff, to immediately evacuate buildings when a fire alarm is sounding. Failure to leave the building during a fire alarm constitutes disregarding a University directive and may result in disciplinary action.

When an alarm is activated, you must act as if it is a real alarm. You should not and cannot assume that, in any given instance, the sounding of an alarm is a drill or a false alarm. Keep calm and move safely to the nearest exit. You should wait outside the building at a safe distance, in order to allow emergency personnel and equipment to respond appropriately and safely to any incident, and you should not re-enter it until an all clear is sounded, and you are given permission.

The procedure for fire evacuations is as follows:

• Occupants are instructed to learn the locations of all fire exits in their building and to utilize the closest safe fire exit when the alarm sounds.
• If an occupant detects evidence of a fire and the alarm has not yet activated, they should activate an alarm pull station and evacuate from the building.
• Occupants must evacuate the building immediately upon an activation of the fire alarm. Under normal conditions they are expected to exit the facility within 3 minutes.
• If possible, evacuees should dress for the weather and take their room key.
• Occupants should feel their room door prior to opening the door. If the door is hot they should not open the door. Instead, they should shelter-in-place or find an alternate exit from their room.
• When exiting their room, if smoke is present, occupants should crawl low under the smoke to the closest safe fire exit. If the hallway is smoke-filled and they cannot safely reach the fire exit, they should take shelter in their room.
• Evacuees should use stairways, not elevators, when evacuating.
• On the way to the closest safe fire exit, if possible, warn neighbors of the need to evacuate by knocking on their room doors.
• Evacuees should gather at the designated assembly point for their building.
• Do not re-enter the building until instructed by Drew or Madison officials.
• People who cannot use the stairs to evacuate due to a mobility impairment or other disability should take shelter in a fire stairwell, communicate their location to 9-1-1 (or ask a passerby to notify emergency responders of their location), and await assistance.
• If forced to shelter-in-place in a residence hall room during a fire, occupants should block openings around their door with wet towels to help prevent smoke from entering the room, call 9-1-1 and report their location, signal rescue personnel by hanging a white sheet or towel out the window, and breathe through a wet cloth over their face while awaiting assistance.

If you observe suspicious behavior or criminal conduct, you should report that activity to Drew Campus Security. Residence halls are typically occupied 24 hours a day, and residents are instructed to follow the procedures identified in fire drills and the instructions of Campus Security personnel and first responders on the scene.

Fire Safety Training

Fire safety training includes graphic video depictions of common sources of fire and the aftermath in residence rooms, as well as the appropriate prevention steps to prevent fires in housing. Additionally, campus regulations concerning prohibited items, smoking, cooking, fire alarms, and evacuations are explained. All incoming College of Liberal Arts (CLA) students are required to attend fire training during New Student Orientation. Resident Assistants are trained annually in conjunction with Drew Campus Security, Madison Fire Department, and local fire resources. Training for Graduate and Theological students takes place by residence hall. Fire safety equipment and availability are likewise explained and also posted in Daniel’s Dictionary, the student handbook.

Student Housing Fire Systems

Drew University is required to provide a description of the fire systems in each of the student housing facilities on campus. The list of each building is found below along with the number of fire drills performed during the prior calendar year. Drills are those alarms requiring evacuation that were planned, supervised, and evaluated to ensure compliance.

Student Housing Fire Systems

Drew University is required to provide a description of the fire systems in each of the student housing facilities on campus. The list of each building is found below along with the number of fire drills performed during the prior calendar year. Drills are those alarms requiring evacuation that were planned, supervised, and evaluated to ensure compliance.

Drew Fire Statistics