by: Kathrine Majewski
At Parkland College on Tuesday, March 5th, two separate fire alarms went off between noon and 1:00pm, requiring students, faculty, and staff to leave the main building and stand in cold temperatures for up to thirty minutes until the all-clear was given.
According to a weather infographic of Savoy from wunderground.com, the temperature on March 5th did not rise above twenty degrees Fahrenheit.
By the second evacuation, one that lasted about ten minutes, confusion could be seen and heard among the groups gathered outside. Was there an ongoing emergency? Were the alarms malfunctioning?
“I can only conclude at this point that it was pulled maliciously”
Two evacuations in one day is unusual for Parkland College. In an early Public Safety announcement, Director of Public Safety William Colbrook addressed concerns and rumors. “The first alarm was due to someone smoking in a restroom on the second floor of the B wing,” Colbrook said. “The second alarm was caused by someone activating a pull station on the third floor of the X wing. There is little chance this was done accidentally due to the design of the pull station. I can only conclude at this point that it was pulled maliciously.” Colbrook said that both alarms functioned correctly under the circumstances.
Students may wonder why no Parkland Alerts went out by text, phone, and email, like they did on February 1st during a flooding emergency that occurred in the D wing. Regarding this, Colbrook told the Prospectus, “The flood resulted in a fire alarm because the fire alarm system is designed to detect any water flowing through the sprinkler system. The Parkland Alert system was used but was human error. In case of a fire-related evacuation, the fire alarm is sufficient to alert the occupants of the building to exit immediately.”
Of course, a real emergency is always possible, so Cobras need to be prepared for evacuation. There are no fire drills on campus, and every alarm should be treated like more than a prank or a trace of smoke in the bathroom.
Readers can use the map of the main building included in this article to memorize where the exits are. This will allow you to figure out the most direct escape route at all times.
According to the Public Safety announcement put out by Colbrook, during evacuation people inside of Parkland College should leave the building immediately, using stairs rather than elevators, and get to a safe distance that is not in the central courtyard until the all-clear notice is issued.
If you need help with evacuation, the following locations have been designated as Areas of Rescue Assistance where rescuers will be available.
- A wing: 2nd floor near the elevator.
- B wing: 2nd floor, men’s restroom.
- C wing: 2nd floor near the C-3 stairway (West side).
- D wing: 2nd floor, restrooms.
- L wing: 2nd floor, women’s restroom.
- M wing: 2nd floor near M109.
- X wing: 2nd floor, men’s restroom.
- X wing: 3rd floor, restrooms.
- U wing: 2nd and 3rd floors (East stairwells).
- Library: Main floor (2nd Level), restrooms.
This list is also available on the Parkland website at parkland.edu and can be accessed from the “Maps” page.
“Do not smoke in restrooms.” Colbrook said to Parkland students, faculty, and staff. “Tobacco use is prohibited by law and Parkland College policy, both inside the buildings and outside on Parkland property. Do not bump into, play with, or otherwise touch a fire alarm pull station unless there is a legitimate fire. Illegally pulling a fire pull station is against the law. If offenders are caught, they will be dealt with to the extent of the law.”