Fire Safety 

False alarms, damage, theft, or misuse of fire detection, alarm  or extinguishing equipment are punishable under the criminal law provision  of the North Carolina Statute 14-286 and will likely result in the cancellation of a student's housing contract in addition to possible adjudication of the matter through the Office of Student Conduct.  Residents will be charged for fire damage resulting from neglect or intentional  actions.

Report all fires and smoke to Duke University Police Department by dialing 9-911 from any campus phone. Fires that have been extinguished should also be reported to Duke Police so that an investigation may be conducted. All fires should subsequently also be reported to your Hall Staff.

Egress
Obstruction  North Carolina fire safety codes prohibit the obstruction of hallways and stairwells.  The Durham Fire Marshall mandates the immediate removal of all items obstructing hallways and stairwells. RLHS will remove without warning or reimbursement furniture, bicycles, lumber and all other items found obstructing hallways or stairwells. University furniture will be removed from hallways and stairwells and you will be charged for any missing furniture when you vacate your room. In addition, access to windows as a secondary means of egress is required.

Fire Extinguishers, Sprinklers, Smoke Detectors and Other Fire Fighting Equipment (Tampering Prohibited) Fire extinguishers are located in all residence halls. The presence of this equipment can help quickly control fires, thereby avoiding injury or loss of life. Relocating, removing, tampering with, or destroying fire-fighting equipment is strictly prohibited and will likely result in revocation of the housing license for students found responsible for violating this policy.  Damage and/or theft of fire equipment are punishable under North Carolina state law. 

Fire Alarms/Drills  To further assure life safety, fire alarm systems are located in each residence hall to alert the occupants in case of fire and drills are conducted several times each year. Residents must comply with all fire alarms/drills. Failure to evacuate may result in disciplinary action. Activating/reporting false alarms or tampering with the alarm system is strictly prohibited and will result in the cancellation of a student's housing contract.

Magnetic Lock Doors:  All residence halls are equipped with electromagnetic locks on some of the exterior and/or interior doors. These door locks are designed to open only in the event of an emergency or power failure. Activation of the building fire alarm system via a manual pull station or an automatic corridor smoke detector will automatically release the magnets and unlock all the electromagnetically locked doors in the building. Once the magnet releases, you may then push the panic bar to open the door.

Smoke/Heat Detectors:  Keohane, Kilgo, Few, Bell Tower, Blackwell, and Randolph are equipped with direct wired AC-powered  smoke detectors. All other residence halls are equipped with battery powered smoke detectors in student bedrooms- these are not hardwired into the building system.  If a bedroom smoke detector alarms due to smoke from a fire, immediately go to the fire alarm pull station in the corridor and activate the building fire alarmIn order to ensure that the smoke detector and/or battery are functional, push the button on the detector for 30 to 60 seconds to test it.  The smoke detector will begin to beep at one minute intervals to warn of battery weakness.  Contact your RLHS Campus Office immediately to request the installation of a new battery, but DO NOT remove the detector from its bracket.  The smoke detector's alarm may falsely sound when there is a high concentration of cigarette smoke, cooking smoke, dust or other particles in the air. Should this happen, open the windows and fan the detector until the it stops sounding its alarm and notify your Residence Assistant and neighbors that you do not have a fire. 

Sprinkler System:  Jarvis, Aycock, Epworth, Blackwell, Randolph, Keohane, Few, Bell Tower, and Kilgo have sprinkler systems located in corridors and bedrooms.  The sprinkler systems are charged with water which will be released at tremendous force in the event of activation.  In buildings with sprinkler systems, it is recommended that items places on the floor are contained within plastic bins.   Hanging things from the sprinkler head or touching the sprinkler head will likely trigger the flow.  In the event that a sprinkler flow is triggered, it is likely that the student responsible will be held financially responsible for the resulting damages.  Please note that Duke will not reimburse for damages to individual student property- it is strongly recommeded that students consider purchasing renters insurance or ensure coverage on his/her family's homeowner policy.

When the Fire Alarm sounds: In the event of a fire, the most important thing is for you to evacuate the building safely.  Make sure you familiarize yourself with the closest exits to your room.

• Close all windows and leave the overhead light on
• Before opening any door, feel the door. If it is HOT, do not open it. If it is not hot, brace yourself against the door, open it slightly, and if heat or heavy smoke are present, close the door and stay in your room.
• If you cannot leave the room, open the window, hang a sheet or other light colored object out the window to attract the attention of emergency personnel and then close the window. Call DUPD (9-911) and report that you are trapped. Remain calm and give your room number and building location.  Stuff towels, sheets, or similar materials under all doors leading into corridors. Stay close to the floor if smoke enters the room.
• If conditions allow you to leave the room, close, but do not lock, the door exit through the nearest stairwell or door
• If you are away from your room when the alarm sounds, do not return to your room.  Leave the building via the nearest exit.
• DO NOT use elevators. If hallways and/or exit stairwells are not accessible because of heavy smoke, return to your room, close the door and follow the instructions given above.
• If you have exited the facility, stand clear of the building and report to your designated check-in area. Emergency apparatus may be maneuvering around the building.
• Follow the directions of fire and police personnel
• NEVER re-enter the building until permission is given.