By Adam Morse
The Riverside Fire Department was dispatched to investigate a fire alarm that was set off in the Riverside City College Digital Library. This led to a full building evacuation of both students and faculty.
The fire department said it was caused by a faulty smoke detector. They notified the college of the cause of the incident and students and faculty promptly returned to their normal activities. This was one in a series of events of fire alarms going off only to be revealed to be false.
Department Co-Chair and Faculty Librarian Jacqueline Lesch and Administrative Manager Terry Welker urged the importance of proper safety procedures for the campus in case of any event.
“As college employees, we ensure the safety of our students and that they are safely leaving the building,” Lesch said.
“We treat it like it’s an active emergency every single time,” Welker said. “That’s why you will probably, if you’re in the vicinity, see us outside not allowing anyone underneath the breezeway.”
RCC safety protocols and procedures are currently being reviewed and updated for changes. They haven’t been updated since before the COVID-19 pandemic. Lesch and Welker expressed their appreciation for student cooperation in such events.
“We want our students here all the time because academic success is foremost, always. However, we do appreciate their cooperation,” Welker said.
The RCC Digital Library will continue operating at normal operating hours with all services available.
Heather • Nov 8, 2023 at 9:39 am
As someone who works for a fire alarm servicing company, I take issue with the statement that this was caused by “a faulty fire alarm”. If the alarm came from a smoke detector, something tripped that smoke detector. If not smoke, then dirt or dust can trip them as well. I would bet money that those detectors haven’t been cleaned in some time (the client’s responsibility). A faulty fire alarm will not trip a smoke detector.