This past weekend on Saturday, October 23rd, a fire alarm rang through the Couch Tower at the University of Oklahoma for approximately an hour, off and on. The alarm started at around 7:00 PM and ended at around 8:15 PM. On three separate occasions, students were told to come outside of their rooms and move down the stairs in a quick, orderly fashion. Three police cars, as well as a firetruck, were called to the tower. Students remained outside for about fifteen minutes each time the alarm went off. From outside, students saw quick flashes of light from the fourth floor to the sixth floor when looking up at the building. The police officers left after the first alarm and did not return but the firetruck returned each time. Everything turned out to be fine as all students were safe and were wary of the situation.
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However, students never received an explanation whatsoever. This is somewhat concerning considering that nobody was informed. I know for a fact students would love transparency and knowing that they are safe in their own building is definitely valuable. Under the Fire Safety section of the University of Oklahoma website, students are told that anytime a fire alarm goes off, they must meet at an emergency evacuation location previously set by their RA. This would be helpful, however, students were never told where this location would be. More information should be listed on the website in order to make it easier for students to stay safe in case of an emergency. A fire drill would also be beneficial. WIth both of these things, students would be informed and know how to stay safe.