Situational Awareness-False Fire Alarms

The Virginia Tech Police Department is deeply committed to the safety and well-being of our community.

With that commitment in mind, Virginia Tech Police, in collaboration with Residential Well Being, Virginia Tech Housing, and the Office of Student Conduct have intensified its resources and efforts to identify individuals responsible for recent activity involving false fire alarms and vandalized life-safety equipment in campus residents halls and to pursue every avenue to adjudicate this type of behavior.

On Sept. 26, 2022, a community member was charged with violating Virginia State Code 18.2-151.1 (injure, destroy, removing, or tampering with firefighting equipment) for deploying a fire extinguisher in a residential hallway.

Also on that date, a community member was charged with violating Virginia State Code 18.2-212 ( maliciously activating fire alarms) for activating a fire alarm utilizing a fire alarm pull station in a residential facility.

Both of these offenses are a Class 1 Misdemeanor, punishable by up to 12 months in jail and/or a fine up to $2,500 dollars.  If found responsible for this type of activity, students may also be removed from the university through the student conduct system.

Please remember that it imperative that you quickly and safely evacuate the building each time that an alarm has sounded. An actual fire can have devastating consequences to both people and property. We are committed to reducing false alarms, but need you to commit to your safety each time an alarm sounds.

The safety and security of the campus requires a commitment from all community members.  Please report suspicious activity to the Virginia Tech Police Department at (540) 382-4343, or by email to vtpolice@vt.edu.  Be a part of the solution.