Four dorms start surprise fire inspections this semster

Monthly and unannounce inspections aimed to reduce violations

In a plan to cut down on fire code violations, student rooms in four residential halls will be inspected in surprise fire inspections once a month starting this semester. According to Holly Morgan, area coordinator for Barrows, Noah, Zechiel and Burton Halls, the new inspections are being run because fire violations have been a large problem in the dorms in the past, and previous inspections were ineffective.

Ben Zelkowicz, college junior and a resident of Burton Hall, said he feels the new inspections are silly and unnecessary. "I feel like I'm being reduced to the grade-school level again."

Morgan said that the inspections were her proposal. She said that she was not aware of previous times when the College has had a policy like this. Neither was Barbara Mehwald, assistant dean and residential hall coordinator. Mehwald said that in the past surprise inspections might have been done when there was a special situation or on-going problem. Mehwald didn't want to comment more on the situation because she had not heard about the new inspections.

"[New inspections] have been talked about for several years," Nick Wauters, assistant resident hall coordinator, said. "The old inspections really didn't serve a purpose."

"They really are a joke," Bridget McHenry, a Resident Coordinator (RC) in Burton, said about inspections in the past.

Zelkowicz said that he thinks the new inspections are not necessary and will be a waste. "Everything seems to be fine ... Unless there have been an exorbitant number of fires on campus in the last few months that I have missed, I don't think it is necessary."

Morgan said that some RCs were concerned about the issue of privacy in regards to the inspections. She said she encouraged the RCs to hang signs explaining the new policy and notifying students of the inspections.

"We are not going in to look to see what we can find," Morgan said. "We are trying to make sure residents are safe."

Wauters said a student had approached him with a concern that the inspections are related to stricter drug policies. Wauters rejected this idea. "It is not just to find out if people have drugs in their rooms. The purpose is to increase the safety of buildings and residents."

Morgan said that in addition to the inspections, there will be more education done to explain why certain items are prohibited in rooms.

The inspections in the past were done by RCs who told their residents when the inspections would occur. Now the inspections will be done by an AC or both an AC and an RC.