By Haidy Abdelazim
UNIVERSITY CITY, SHARJAH – Faulty smoke detectors raised alarm throughout the Student Center in the American University of Sharjah on Feb. 1.
Head of Safety and Crisis Management Feras Al Salem said that when problems with smoke detectors happen, the system releases a false fire alarm to notify their office which sensor is defective.
The Office of Safety and Crisis Management also witnesses similar issues in students’ dorms, he said.
Al Salem listed various actions that give a signal to the smoke detectors that sound off the fire alarm.
The list includes cooking in an unsafe manner which increases heat in the kitchen.
Additionally, smoking inside the rooms, keeping the rooms dusty, and taking hot baths that generate a lot of hot water vapors.
In an email sent by the Student Residential Life Department on Feb. 22, multiple tips have been given to residents of dorms, as well as a virtual training and awareness video to replace the fire drills.
Corrective action for the above cases includes a physical inspection of the detectors, replacing them if faulty, or resetting them if possible.