On the night of Feb. 18, at roughly 10 p.m. an unidentified group of pranksters pulled the fire alarm on the second floor of Living Center Southwest.
The pulled alarm triggered the fire alarm throughout the entire building. Despite there being no obvious threat, the building was evacuated promptly to ensure students safety.
Nearby, Living Center South welcomed the displaced students into the lobby to keep warm until SVSU Police had cleared the building for re-entry.
Residents of the hallway where the pulled alarm was located stated they heard a large group of male students running and laughing in the hall shortly before the alarm began to sound, with one resident identifying a male student in a brown hoodie.
Local fire services were not contacted on account of there being no obvious signs of fire, however University Police dispatch did arrive shortly after evacuation, and conducted an examination of the building for any sign of danger.
The student who pulled the alarm was not identified at the time of the incident, however, given the residence halls are equipped with security cameras, University Police is confident that the parties involved will be identified soon.
“They’re pretty lucky the fire department wasn’t called,” one of the responding officers said after clearing the building. “They don’t mess around.”
Once identified, involved students may face a $700 fine for the prank, as well as other repercussions from student conduct. Students were allowed back into the building at around 10:30 p.m. and no known property damage was sustained.
It is important that students do not seek to replicate the prank, or partake in any other prank which may endanger students or waste university resources.
Other prohibited activities which endangers students and can result in fines include lighting candles, propping exterior doors open as it could allow unauthorized persons entry to the building, and the use of hoverboard devices indoors, as the batteries have been known to cause fires.
To avoid accidentally setting off an alarm, students are advised to cook on lower heat settings, run their stove fans while cooking, and never leave cooking food unattended.
If you, or anyone you know can help identify the person who caused the false alarm, please report it to the University Police or a university staff member immediately.
Students are also urged to report suspicious behavior or any planned disruptive events which may cause harm to students, such as pranks or illegal activities.
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