While fire alarms commonly rob college students of slumber and daytime as well, the residents of DeMattias Hall at Saint Louis University have become accustomed to the ring of the fire alarms.

The alarm have already sounded six times this semester as oppsed to approximately 10 times last semester, according to Argyle Wade, director of Housing.”We have reason to believe that the majority were caused by either students smoking excessively or pulling the alarm,” Wade said.

However, students alone are not to blame for the excessive alarms. “During the fall semester the technological false alarms were attributed to program issues in the new system,” Wade said, referring to a hard-wired smoke detector and sprinkler system installed in the summer of 2000.

DeMattias Hall Senator, Nick Sarcone, said, “I’m upset that the system is brand new and malfunctions every two weeks.” He wonders why it took Facilities Services so long to come and inspect the system.

According to Sarcone, 40 to 50 percent of the alarms have been due to the system malfunctioning.

“Every alarm not attributed to drills, cigarette smoke or false activation is investigated by Facilities Services,” according to Wade. “The problem has now been identified and is being corrected.”

With only four weeks into the spring semester, there have already been six alarms in DeMatt. All alarms are attributed to either technological error or student behavior. At no time were students in danger of an actual fire.

There were three alarms attributed to smoking last semester and one so far this semester. Also, there were two alarms attributed to a false activation of a pull station last semester and one so far this semester.

While Wade said it is difficult to determine an average number of fire alarms, “The University is always concerned about false alarms, but especially when it is attributed to someone’s behavior.”

Sarcone said he does not understand why people pull the fire alarm. “It’s inconsiderate and it’s against the law,” he said. “It should not be pulled here or at any other university.”

All the pulls have been on the second floor of DeMattias. “Whether it’s a second floor resident, or someone else, I don’t know,” Sarcone said.

Facilities Services is seeking information about the false activation through sources including DeMattias staff members and residents.

In the e-mail, reference was also made to a reward for those responsible for locating the guilty party and providing proof.

“The Housing and Residence Life Department and Hall Councils sponsor a $300 reward for information leading to individuals and found falsely activating the alarm system,” according to Wade.

If found in violation, the responsible party is fined $300.

Falsely activating a fire alarm is a federal offense. “This is a big deal,” Wade said who understands that it takes courage to come forward and in turn someone. “I wouldn’t want my fate to be in someone else’s hands.”

Despite the inconvenience DeMattias residents are responding well. But not everyone’s behavior is receiving praise.

Sarcone is extremely disappointed with the Department of Public Safety’s response to the alarms. “They’re located a five-minute walk from DeMattias and it takes them eight or eight and half minutes to respond. That is entirely unacceptable.”

Sarcone suggested that if a DPS officer used a bike as opposed to coming on foot, he or she would be at the sight of the alarm in only three minutes.

DPS officers understand why students are not happy. “I’m frustrated about the fire alarms, too,” said Keaton Strong, protective services officer.

Proper response time to a DeMattias alarm is about two minutes, according to Strong. In fact, one minute is pretty accurate in the middle of the night, he said, due to lack of traffic on campus.

Sophomore Meryl Glidewell, a DeMattias resident, was not impressed with DPS either. “I would hope the DPS would hustle a little more if the building is really on fire,” she said.

DeMatt residents may recall an alarm near the end of the fall semester when DPS officers were heard yelling at students, “If you’re standing, then you’re wrong,” and “If you’re f****** friends hadn’t pulled the alarm, then we wouldn’t be here.”

“It’s not necessary to yell and curse,” Sarcone said, in regards to the treatment of students. Sarcone also does not think it is necessary for DPS to force DeMattias residents into the designated fire assembly area, Xavier Hall, when they know that it is a false alarm and not an actual fire.

Strong was not impressed with the words of fellow officers. “That’s their job. It they don’t like that it’s 2 a.m., they should know that is their job.”

Strong encouraged students to report officers that are acting inappropriately. “Don’t think because they’re DPS, they’re above reporting,” he said. “But don’t wait until morning. Call and report them at that time so that it can be dealt with.”

“The policy is that you’re supposed to go over to Xavier,” Strong said. He pointed out for safety reasons, all of the students are supposed to go to the designated area so everyone is informed simultaneously when it is safe to return. There is also an issue with doors being left unlock in the haste of exiting the building.

Some DeMattias residents and staff are worried that all of the false alarms could provide “Boy Who Cried Wolf” syndrome. Some students might begin to ignore or not respond as quickly to alarms assuming that they are in no physical danger.

“Students should take every alarm seriously and evacuate the building to their appropriate assembly area,” Wade said. “If the alarm is not due to a real fire, we always work to get them back into the building as soon as possible.”

Of all the alarms from last semester and the current one, only one time was the alarm a drill. “There was one drill last semester, and there will be one drill next week during which the alarm will be sounded,” Wade said.

Facilities Services plans on about one drill per semester per residence hall. Some DeMatt students ponder whether a drill really has any purpose after DeMatt residents have proved themselves “fire safe” through all the false alarms. Wade said that there are two reasons for doing a drill: assessment and education.

Assessment deals with how the Res Life staff, DPS officers and the alarm company respond. Education teaches students what the alarm sounds like and where to go upon evacuation of the building. “I think that purpose has been fulfilled to an extent by the false alarms,” Wade admitted. However, reading material is distributed to students prior to a drill simply to update them. With false alarms, no literature has been distributed.