Situational awareness: False fire alarms

From: Virginia Tech Police Department

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 devoted significant resources and intensified efforts to identify individuals responsible for continued activity involving false fire alarms and vandalized life-safety equipment in campus residence halls and to pursue every avenue to adjudicate this type of behavior.  These thoughtless acts continue to negatively impact the entire residential community and divert critical public safety and university resources from their mission of serving the community. 

On Oct. 28, 2022, a community member was charged with destruction of property in violation of Virginia State Code 18.2-137 for damaging ceiling tiles and the fire suppression system located in Slusher Tower, 201 Ag Quad Lane.  Due to the level of damage sustained in the building, this offense is classified as a Class 6 Felony, punishable by a term of imprisonment of between one year and five years and/or a fine of up to $2,500.

On Nov. 2, 2022, a community member was charged with violating Virginia State Code 18.2-212 (maliciously activating fire alarms) and Virginia State Code 18.2-137 (destruction of property) for activating a fire alarm pull station and damaging a door inside Pritchard Hall, 630 Washington St, on Oct. 8, 2022.  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 these types of activity, students may face additional sanctions from the university through the student conduct system.  

Virginia Tech continues to remind students that it is 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.