Hallways, stairways, and ingress/egress to rooms must be kept clear of all items, including but not limited to bicycles, trunks, furniture, screens, and wall hangings; and may not be used for storage. Items that restrict free movement in these spaces will be removed and disposed of and their owners may be charged for their removal.

Any student in possession of prohibited items and/or in violation of the fire safety policy may be referred to the student conduct process. The College reserves the right to confiscate prohibited items with the option of destruction or holding until they can safely be removed from campus.

The following activities/items are prohibited on campus due to fire safety:

• Bonfires and fire pits; unless approved by the College
• Playing with fire
• Possession/lighting of fireworks, smoke bombs, explosives, or corrosive or flammable chemicals
• Propane tanks of any size
• Smoking within 20 feet of the entrance to any building
• Disposing of cigarettes negligently
• Candles and incense
• Overloading electrical sockets
• Medusa lamps (multi bulb lights)
• Tampering with life safety devices:
• Fire extinguishers
• Smoke detectors
• Fire alarms
• Pull stations
• Sprinklers (keep 18” clearance around sprinkler heads)
• Possession and use of halogen lamps
• Open flames, including pit fires, hibachis, chimeneas, and bonfires
• Barbecue grills other than College provided grills are not permitted. Allow grills to cool down after use and discard ashes in provided containers.
• The use or possession of any flammable substances, flame emitting articles, open coiled/flamed items.
• Hoverboards, single wheel boards, Segways, e-bikes or any similar device that is battery powered are prohibited in the residence halls due to the instability and potential fire hazards of the batteries and may not be stored or charged in any building on campus.
• Approved appliances (microwaves and refrigerators) must be plugged into a wall outlet and may not be plugged into a power strip.

Evacuation Policy

In the event of a fire alarm, students must evacuate the building. Students are not permitted in the building in the event of an evacuation until directed to do so by a College official. Failure to evacuate any college building during an active fire alarm, including scheduled evacuation drills and false alarms, or entering a building without permission in the event of an evacuation is a violation of this policy and may result in disciplinary action.

Fines related to Fire Safety and Equipment

• You are personally liable for any expenses associated with the damage and clean up from a fire or sprinkler activation caused by your negligence.
• If no individual, or group of individuals, accepts responsibility when a violation of this policy occurs in a residence hall, all residents may be subject to fines and costs incurred by the College and/or fire department(s).
• Tampering with any life safety device such as a sprinkler head, smoke detector, heat detector, or fire extinguisher is a violation of this policy and PA State building codes.
• At a minimum, students found to have tampered with life safety devices or equipment will face disciplinary action and may be subject to a fine. False Fire Alarm is classified as a misdemeanor of the first degree, and the maximum sentence is up to 5 years in prison and/or a $10,000 fine.