Fire Safety & Security Policies

Rights & Responsibilities

As Boston College students you have certain rights regarding personal safety and security. In order to insure these rights for you and your fellow students, you must abide by certain policies. Fulfilling these policies and requirements is your responsibility as a residence hall student. Minimum mandatory sanctions for failing to comply are listed on the back of this newsletter.

•  Health and Safety Inspections - Random Health and Safety inspections will take place each week. Any safety violation will be recorded.
•  RA/RD Inspections - Resident staff will regularly and randomly inspect all rooms, suites & apartments for damage and safety issues.
•  Fire Alarms -When the fire alarm in your building sounds, it is your RESPONSIBILITY to immediately leave the building. Although some fire alarms are false or maliciously pulled as a prank, you must treat every fire alarm as if a real fire is occurring. Maliciously pulling a fire alarm is a serious offense. Not only does it disrupt the lives of every resident in the building, it also places at risk the lives of the responding fire personnel and the resident staff. If you witness an alarm being pulled falsely, notify your RA immediately.
•  Fire Extinguishers - Fire extinguishers are placed in specific locations throughout each residence hall. These extinguishers are not toys and should only be used in the event of an actual fire. Misuse of a fire extinguisher is a very dangerous act.
•  Door Propping - The first step towards a safe community is a properly locked exterior door. Propping open a building door leaves the whole building and its residents vulnerable to all crimes. The card access system for each residence hall door monitors propping. In the event that a door is propped for more than 60 seconds, a silent alarm sounds to which the Boston College Police Department will respond.
•  Room Combination Security - Safety begins with you. Under no circumstance is your room combination to be shared with non roommates. Most on campus theft is caused by room combination sharing. It is your responsibility to keep this code secure.
•  Security Screens - In order to ensure your safety, residence hall rooms are equipped with a locked screen. This tab on this screen should not be removed unless an emergency situation arises. Removal of the tab/opening on the screen is a violation. Students will be able to report any missing red tabs to their Resident Director by September 16, 2006 without incurring a charge.

Fire Prevention Measures

Fire prevention requires the efforts and cooperation of all Boston College community members. As students, you are expected to adhere to strict guidelines regarding this matter. Failure to comply with these expectations will jeopardize your safety and the safety of others. In light of the possible hazards caused by the use of high voltage and heat producing appliances and non-approved furniture in densely populated areas, several items are prohibited in the residence halls including:

•  Space heaters and heating blankets
•  Torchiere-style halogen lights and lamps
•  Non-UL approved power strips
•  Two-pronged extension cords
•  Decorative lights are only permitted from October 15 to last final exam in December.
•  Grills are not permitted except in the Mods. Lighter fluid is prohibited in all areas.
•  Smoking is prohibited in all residence halls.
•  All non-university mattresses are prohibited in the residence halls.
•  Foam egg crate mattress pads are particularly flammable and therefore are prohibited .
•  Futons may be used in common areas of suites and apartments, but are not permitted in bedrooms.
•  The University and the Office of Residential Life reserve the right to determine whether personal furnishings (chairs, couches, mattresses, lamps etc.) are appropriate due to code, policy or space issues.

Electric Cords & Appliance Requirements

•  Power strips or surge protectors must be used in the event that the number of electrical appliances exceeds the number of electrical outlets. These must be UL approved with a circuit breaker.
•  Only three-pronged, grounded, heavy-duty (12 or 14 gauge) extension cords may be used.
•  Only low-voltage microwaves are permitted in the halls.

Other Restrictions

•  Candles, incense, and other sources of open flame are prohibited in the residence halls. These items should not be brought to campus and will be confiscated and destroyed without compensation to the owner.
•  Posters, flags and other wall-hangings must be used sparingly and are not to be hung from the ceiling, or in a location that will cover or interfere with light fixtures, outlets, or other appliances.
•  Construction of partitions, bunk-beds, lofts, and other additions to your room is not allowed.
•  Smoking in all residence halls is strictly prohibited. In order to smoke, students must be at least 20 feet from any residence hall.
•  Exits may not be blocked or used for storage.

For additional safety information contact:

Boston College Office of Residential Life
617-55(2-3060)
reslife@bc.edu

Boston College Environmental Health & Safety
617-55(2-0308)

Boston College Police Department
617-55(2-4440)

Online resources and articles:

www.bc.edu/offices/facilities/ehs
www.campusfire.org
www.usfa.dhs.gov
www.firesafety.gov
www.nfpa.org
www.bc.edu/bc_org/rvp/pubaf/05/fire-safety.html
www.princetonreview.com/college/research/articles/firesafety