Spring Break
The Daily OrangeFire alarms disrupt residents in BBB
By Natt Garun
Posted: 9/9/07, 11:52 PM EST Section: News
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By the last alarm, noticeably fewer students had evacuated than during the first. Many students arrived with portable music players and laptops, ready to spend time outside while firemen inspected the buildings.
Office of Residence Life officials would not say why the alarms sounded the first four times. An official said the fifth alarm was a prank by a resident of Brewster's second floor. The freshman responsible, whose identity was not released, was caught Friday.
The resident director of BBB, multiple BBB residence advisers and Public Safety officials did not respond to requests to comment on the record for this article.
The piercing sirens and strobe lights of the first alarm startled BBB residents at 2 a.m. on Aug. 29. While some students believed it was a drill, RAs said Syracuse University does not conduct drills in the early morning.
Hundreds of students sleepily walked down emergency stairs and congregated either on the sidewalk or the grass outside the buildings.
"I was pretty scared because I didn't know it was a fire alarm. No one ever told us what the fire alarms sounded like," said freshman Lauren Condon following the drill. "Then I was pretty annoyed."
On Sept. 1, alarms went off again at approximately 4 a.m.
This time, students waited cold and upset for about 75 minutes while fire authorities cleared the buildings. Some residents walked outside in their pajamas while others wrapped themselves in blankets to keep warm in the chilly weather. Many took naps on the grass.
Little did they know they would be repeating the same routine for the next three nights.
By the fourth alarm, students created the group "FIRE ALARMS AT BBB REALLY SUCK" on Facebook.com and discussed their complaints and waiting strategies for possible upcoming alarms. Members also included photos from their restless nights.
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