Unprotected fire alarm triggers evacuation

An unprotected fire alarm was accidentally activated on Tuesday, sending students and staff out to the stadium.

At approximately 12:35, as students were moving to their sixth period classes, the fire alarm went off.

On-site Emergency Team coordinator Mark Curran said that the system was triggered by the alarm outside the Media Center, but that "there was no evidence that someone had hit it and run." "It looked like it was an accidental backpack hit," Curran continued.

Curran added that the alarm was not covered and thus more susceptible to being accidentally pulled, especially since it is in a high-traffic area. He also said that this is the fourth such alarm this year. "That has been our most frequent false alarm," Curran said.

Building services has been asked to install a safety cover over the alarm, but this so far has not happened. "The work order to put a cover on that had been in the works for three weeks," said Curran.

Curran emphasized that the cover will just serve to prevent accidental triggering and will not impair the alarm's functionality. "It's just a failsafe," he said.