IACS students arriving at school on Monday October 3 were met with a surprising sight: their fellow classmates evacuating the building. The fire alarm was tripped 3 times between 8 am and 8:30, forcing students to exit then re-enter the building multiple times.
According to Head of School Greg Orpen, the mistaken activation was caused by a smoke alarm in the athletics office. It is unknown what specifically triggered the alarm, but Orpen noted that its location next to an air vent means that small particles exciting the heating system may have been the culprit. By 9:15 am, the fire alarm company was on the premises and working to resolve the problem.
“It was very confusing,” said Senior Riley Megyesi. “I had to stay outside, then come back inside, then go back outside again.” Another senior, Nathan Eliopulos agreed, “It was really weird.” Eliopulos also noted the inconvenience of having to walk all the way outside from Mr. McCarthy’s 2nd floor classroom. Jared Jayroe commented “I was hoping it would never end, so we could all go home.”
As for the reason for the repeated alarms, the alarm code initially displayed “basement gym.” This led many to initially believe the issue was in the Quonset Hut. When the alarm was first set up, the athletics office was being used as a workout area, hence the somewhat misleading name.
Those students wishing for a day off notwithstanding, the IACS community can rest assured knowing that the school fire alarms are working well, and keeping us safe as we go about our daily schedules.
