Fire Safety

Safety and Security takes Fire Safety at Dartmouth College very seriously.

Dartmouth has been very lucky in regard to fires in it's residence halls and Greek housing and has not had deaths resulting from fires. We believe this is due to the strong proactive measures we take and the information we share with the students.

Students should know that it is a crime to tamper with a fire detection and fire suppression system, including smokeheads.

Tampering with smokeheads in the student's rooms falls under College discipline and carries a hundred dollar fine, because smokeheads are so crucial to ensuring safety. Students, College faculty and employees need to know that you can not do anything that would prevent a smokehead or sprinkler head from functioning properly.

Points the Dartmouth Community Should Be Aware Of

Candles are not allowed to be burned. If a burning candle is found, it is considered a fire safety violation which carries a $100.00 fine.
Tampering with a smokehead or fire suppression system including fire extinguishers is a fire safety violation. If it is part of a building's built in system, it is also a state crime.
Do not park in fire lanes. When you do, you are preventing emergency equipment from accessing the scene of an emergency. Parking in a fire lane also constitutes a $100.0 fine.
During a fire alarm you MUST leave the building as soon as the alarm is sounded. If you have any concerns, wait outside for a Safety and Security Officer or the Fire Department to arrive. Do not assume that it is a false alarm.
If you should find a fire, close the door to the room it is in. Then find the nearest pull station, activate it and exit from the building. Let the Firefighters put out the fire.

NFPA Fact Sheet on Fatal College/University and Sorority House Fires

Date	Location	Civilian Deaths	Civilian Injuries	Property Loss
09/09/90	Fraternity House, Berkeley, CA	3	2	$2,100,000
12/08/90	Fraternity House, Eric, PA	1	4	Not Reported
02/13/92	Fraternity House, California, PA	1	0	$70,000
10/24/92	Sorority House, LaCrosse, WI	1	2	Not Reported
10/21/94	Fraternity House, Bloomsburg, PA	5	0	$70,000
05/12/96	Fraternity House, Chapel Hill, NC	5	3	Not Reported
10/19/96	Fraternity House, Delaware, OH	1	0	$175,000
01/03/97	Dormitory, Warrensburg, MD	1	0	$45,000
01/10/97	Dormitory, Martin, TN	1	5	$68,000
02/20/97	Dormitory, Brooklyn, NY	1	0	Not Reported
12/09/97	Dormitory, Greenville, IL	1	0	Not Reported
09/18/98	Dormitory, Murray, KY	1	15	Not Reported
02/13/99	Fraternity House, Rolla, MO	1	0	$1,000,000
02/16/99	Fraternity House, Geneseo, NY	1	0	Not Reported
05/08/99	Fraternity House, Columbia, MO	1	0	Not Reported
01/19/00	Dormitory, South Orange, NJ	3	62	Not Reported
03/20/00	Fraternity House, Bloomburg, PA	3	0	Not Reported
04/10/00	Fraternity House, Cambridge, MA	1	7	$2,000
06/06/00	Fraternity House, Decatur, IL	1	1	$60,000