Annual Fire Safety Report (AFSR)

Montclair State University maintains a fire log that records, by the date that a fire was reported, any fire that occurred in an on-campus student housing facility. The log includes the nature, date, time, and general location of each fire. The University makes an entry to the log within two business days of the receipt of such information. The fire log for the most recent 60–day period is made available for public inspection during normal business hours in the Office of Fire Safety. Portions of the log older than 60 days are made available within two business days of a request for public inspection.

A summary of the University’s annual report of the fires recorded in the fire log is set forth below. The Housing Fire Statistics are updated October 1 of each year.

2023

2022

2021

A. Emergency Fire Response

Montclair State University has access to 24 hours-a-day, seven day a week response to any fire alarm or report of burning odors. Our duty is to assure the safety of everyone on the Montclair State University Campus.

However, fire alarms alone do not ensure any person’s safety unless that person knows how to safely exit a building when the fire alarm sounds.

Fire drills are conducted twice a year in all residence halls. The first drill is scheduled early in the fall semester and all residents are told in advance. The second drill is conducted sometime during the spring semester with no advance warning.

If residents do not evacuate a hall in a reasonable amount of time, the drill is repeated until emergency officials are satisfied with the evacuation time. All repeat drills are unannounced.

Fire drills are also conducted on a regular basis for the University Health Center and the Child Care Centers. Drills for other campus buildings are not conducted unless requested and scheduled by the building’s occupants.

When the fire alarm sounds, you should leave the building immediately–even if someone else tells you it is a false alarm. Do not use the elevator and do not assume it is an alarm test (unless a test has been announced)–fire alarms should never be taken lightly.

You may go back into the building when emergency personnel tell you it is safe to re-enter.

Montclair State University emergency personnel responds to any fire alarm (24 hours-a-day, 365 days-a-year) to assist the Fire Department with building and room entry. They can also provide information about a particular area due to their familiarity with the fire alarm system and practice of inspecting buildings. They help locate the alarm area for the Fire Department by checking and operating the fire alarm control panel. While trained in fire-fighting techniques, Montclair State University Emergency personnel do not fight fires unless the Fire Department asks for their assistance.

B. What Are “False Alarms?”

A false alarm is when a person intentionally sends in a false report of a fire. This causes emergency crews (Montclair Fire Department, Clifton Fire Department, Little Falls Fire Department and University Police) to expend time and effort in responding to a non-existing situation. False alarms kill. It has been documented by numerous fire agencies around the country that a number of fire departments responding to false alarms have been involved in accidents while responding to such reports, which resulted in firefighters being killed or injured, and vehicles and equipment damaged. Fire Department personnel may be delayed in responding to a real emergency where lives are at stake.

The fire detection systems in Montclair State University facilities are designed to respond to a condition of smoke and/or heat. How does a smoke detector work? When a foreign object or substance enters the inner chamber of a smoke detector, it activates the detector’s sensor, which sends a signal to the fire alarm control panel and sets off the fire alarm. However, a smoke detector cannot distinguish the differences in smoke, dust, insects, and water.
All fire alarm systems on campus are connected to a central receiving panel that is monitored 24 hours-a-day by the University Police Department. When a fire alarm goes off in a campus building, the dispatcher immediately knows in which building the alarm was activated. Each call is taken seriously and response is within a few minutes.

Fortunately, the cause of most fire alarms is not fire, but something else. Causes can be accidental (somebody bumping into a fire alarm device, a worker spray painting, sawing/sanding wood, or welding too close to a detector), unintentional (dust or insects the detector sees as smoke, or a smoke detector too close to a kitchen area, or water that leaks into a detector), mechanical (a malfunctioning system–usually when a new system is being installed, an electrical storm, or a faulty wire), or malicious (intentionally setting off the alarm).

The number of fire alarms on campus could be greatly reduced if we just pay more attention to our surroundings and what we are doing. Fire alarms disrupt campus life: classes, labs, special activities, office activity, sleep, etc. It is the goal of the Director of Fire Safety to reduce the number of fire alarms on campus through education, maintenance of alarm systems, and a smoke detector cleaning program.

C. Fire Inspections

Inspections of all life safety devices are ongoing THROUGHOUT campus / all fire alarm systems are tested annually before the start of the fall semester. All fire alarms are monitored 24 hours a day at the University Police headquarters.

Sprinkler systems are tested annually during the summer months and inspected quarterly; all of the Resident Halls are fully sprinkled. Additionally, some of the academic buildings have sprinkler systems.

Cooking systems in all dining halls, diners, and classrooms are protected by hood suppression system. This is like a fire extinguisher that is hooked up to the hood above the stove. These systems are tested every six months.

D. Fire extinguishers

There are over 2,500 fire extinguishers on campus. All fire extinguishers are tested once a year and are hydrostatically tested in accordance with the N.F.P.A 10. if you see a fire extinguisher with an old inspection tag please report the location to Fire Safety at X 5401.

Because we are a state agency, the State of NJ Division of Fire Safety inspects all campus property. Some buildings are inspected quarterly depending on their classification and use. Montclair State University Department of Fire Safety inspects the buildings throughout the year to ensure compliance with all State codes.

Testing of all life safety systems is done by an independent company to ensure compliance with all codes and standards. Copies of these reports are filed in the Fire Safety office.

E. Fire Safety Systems in Student Housing

All student housing structures contain fire alarms that report to the University Police Headquarters by way of a state-of-the-art Notifier Monitoring System. The hardware for the Notifier Monitoring System was last upgraded in 2016.

All on-campus Student Housing facilities are equipped with a full NFPA 13 fire suppression system installed throughout each building. Sprinkler testing is conducted quarterly by a State Certified Contractor and University Fire Safety employee.

A description of each on-campus student housing facility and its corresponding fire safety system is identified in the table below with an indication of the most recent improvements:

F: Plans for Future Life Safety Improvements

A description of future plans for fire safety improvements to each on-campus student housing facility is identified in the below table:

Fire Drills are conducted four times a year in all residence halls. The first drill is scheduled within the first 10 days of the fall semester and all residents are told in advance. The other three drills are conducted during the spring and winter semesters with no advance warning. This brings a total of four drills per academic year with one of the drills being held after sunset.

Fire Drills were conducted at Montclair State University during Fall Semester 2023 on September 1, 2023 and November 29, 2023 (conducted after sunset). During Spring Semester 2023, drills were performed on January 26, 2023 and April 19, 2023.  One additional Fire Drill was conducted on July 6, 2023 for students residing on campus for summer programing.

Fire Drills were conducted at Bloomfield College of Montclair State University during Fall Semester 2023 on September 6, 2023 and December 12, 2023 (conducted after sunset).  During Spring Semester 2023, drills were performed on January 17, 2023 and April 13, 2023.

A. List of Prohibited Items

Items Not Permitted In Residence Rooms

Smoking and/or vaping in residence halls is expressly prohibited at all times.

Prohibited Appliances:

• Hot plates/hot pots and any appliance with exposed heating elements.
• George Foreman Grills (permitted only in The Village, one per apartment.)
• Electric heaters
• Halogen, torchier, or lava lamps
• Coffee pots (One permitted, only with automatic shut off features.)
• Toasters (One permitted only in the Village apartments
• Electric frying pans
• Popcorn poppers (one permitted only in the apartments.)
• Potpourri pots
• Candlewax warmers (BOTH ELECTRIC AND NON-ELECTRIC ARE PROHIBITED!)
• Dishwashers (Except in the Village, where they are provided by the University)
• Window/portable air conditioners
• Stoves
• Burners/grills
• Deep fryers
• Open coil plates
• Rice cookers (Only permitted in the Village)

Holiday Decorations Including:

• Live Christmas trees and/or wreaths
• Halloween/Fall corn stalks or hay bales

Combustible Items Including:

• Candles, incense, oil burners and candle wax warmers are STRICTLY PROHIBITED in all residence areas. Even if they are only decorative, in accordance with the State of New Jersey, Division of Fire Safety.
• Explosives, fireworks, M80s, bottle rockets, etc.
• Any and all firearms, ammunition, BB guns, paintball guns, knives or weapons of any type, even if they are presumed to be exclusively for decorative or collectible purposes.
• Gasoline and/or any type of gasoline-powered items such as mopeds, motor scooter, motorcycles, portable generators, etc.
• Kerosene, propane, paint thinner, oil lamps.
• All flammable and combustible liquids.
• Kerosene heaters.
• Additional unapproved furniture other than what is provided in the rooms, i.e. futons, chairs, mattresses, bed frames, desks, beanbag chairs, couches, etc.

Restricted Items:

• Microwave Ovens – One microwave is permitted in each student room. The microwave must not exceed 700 watts of power. Larger microwave ovens are permitted in the apartment communities, but must not exceed 1,000 watts of power.
• Refrigerators – One refrigerator is permitted in each student room. The refrigerator must not draw more than 1.5 amps and must not exceed 3 cubic feet. Mini-fridges are prohibited in the apartment communities since the University provides a full refrigerator.
• MicroFridge Units – One MicroFridge unit is permitted in each student room. (For MicroFridge information, contact Campus Specialties at www.campusspec.com or call 1-800-525-7307.)
• Power strips – Power strips with a built-in GFCI surge protector and circuit breaker are permitted and must be plugged directly into the wall outlet. Such power strips may not be connected to one another or “daisy chained.”
• Storage and charging of all personal electric vehicles (e-bikes, scooters, hoverboards, etc.) are prohibited in all campus buildings.

Any and all electrical equipment brought into the residence halls by a resident must bear the Underwriters Laboratories (UL) seal of approval and must be used for the purpose for which it was designed. Items found not meeting these standards, or in violation of any other fire safety regulations, will be confiscated and returned at the end of the semester/academic year.

Please note that this compilation is not an exhaustive list of the violations for which you may be cited. For additional information, please visit the Office of Residence Life.

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B. Smoking Policy

Read the University’s Tobacco-Free Policy.

Current state law and University policy prohibits smoking and/or use of tobacco, vapor or similar products* inside any campus building.

Use of these products is only permitted in designated smoking areas around campus.

Any member of the campus community may ask an individual to comply with the provisions of this regulation or may file a complaint with University Police, who may issue a summons. Any individual who fails to comply is subject to a fine as determined by the local court where the summons is filed (typically ranging $25-$200).

C. Evacuation Procedures

All members of the Montclair State University Community are, by State law, required to review the Fire Evacuation Plan and to review the staging areas and building evacuation maps for the building in which the community members work, attend class, and/or reside; this information is available under Section XI, Staging and Accountability, of this fire evacuation plan. This is required to be done by all campus community members on an annual basis. Go to the Fire Evacuation Form to confirm that you have reviewed this information.

D. Use of Space Heaters

During the winter months, some members of the University community feel that space heaters are needed to provide them with warmth. The use of space heaters should be avoided by contacting the Facilities Service Desk (973-655-5444) and requesting that Facilities increase the heat temperature in the respective space. This, however, may not be an option in areas such as the front desks of residence halls due to the constant flow of people into and out of the building. In these limited cases, the following space heater safety tips must be followed.

• Keep all space heaters at least three feet away from any combustibles.
• Use space heaters only as a supplementary source of heat. These devices are not intended to replace the building’s heating system.
• Do not use extension cords with space heaters; plug them only into electrical outlets.
• Inspect the heater’s cord periodically to look for frayed wire or damaged insulation.
• Do not use a space heater with a damaged cord.
• Check periodically for a secure plug/outlet fit. If the plug becomes very hot, stop using the space heater.
• Heaters should be placed on a flat, level surface.
• Do not place heaters on furniture since they may fall and become damaged or this could break parts in the heater, posing a fire hazard.
• Do not place heaters on shelves or in cabinets, where they may fall or where heat may accumulate and cause damage or, worse yet, a fire.
• Do not use in damp, wet areas.
• Look for the UL mark on your electric heater. This means representative samples of the appliance have met UL’s stringent safety standards.

Anyone with questions about the use of space heaters should contact the Department of Fire Safety at 973-655-5401.

The objective of this document is to provide the campus community access to a comprehensive emergency evacuation procedure for the evacuation of buildings with activated fire alarms, and, in doing so, to comply with the International Fire Code, as adopted by the State of New Jersey in effect as of February 2009.

This document is applicable to all persons on the campus of Montclair State University, including faculty, staff, students, and visitors.

Staging areas and building evacuation maps.

1. Emergency Evacuation

• Become familiar with your work area and exit locations in advance of an emergency. Always know at least two ways out of a building.
• If a fire alarm sounds, prepare to evacuate immediately.
• Do not panic. Walk quickly to the closest emergency exit.
• Do not use elevators. If power is disrupted, elevators will stop working.
• Walk in a single file. Stay to the right when walking through corridors and stairwells.
• Avoid unnecessary talking and keep the lines moving.
• Individuals requiring assistance in an evacuation should proceed to a stairwell entrance area and wait for assistance.
• If smoke is encountered, drop to the floor and crawl along the wall to the nearest exit.
• When approaching a closed door, feel the door with the back of your hand. If the door is cool, carefully open the door and, if safe, proceed with the evacuation.
• No one is to return to the building until permission is granted by the local fire department or University Police.

2. Evacuation of Persons with Disabilities:

• Be aware that faculty, staff and students with disabilities may need individual assistance. Assist them whenever possible. A list of students with disabilities, which is updated each semester, is available for emergency responders in the event of an emergency. All faculty and staff with disabilities may contact the Department of Fire Safety at 973-655-5401 or ferrarar@freoreport.net with their work schedule if they would like to be placed on this list.
• If evacuation cannot be done safely, contact University Police at 973-655-5222 and provide them with your name, location (including floor and stairwell), the reason why you are unable to evacuate, and if immediate assistance is required. This information will be relayed to responding emergency personnel.
• Students with visual and physical disabilities (whether permanent or temporary) are permitted to await the arrival of emergency personnel at the stairwell landing from which they called. However, the student must contact the University Police Department, if opting to shelter in place.
• We advise students with permanent and temporary disabilities to contact Meghan Hearns in the Disability Resource Center (hearnsm@freoreport.net) at 973-655-5308 to be placed on the disability list and for other guidance.

3. Hearing and Visual Impairments:

• Assist people with these disabilities by notifying them of the emergency and assisting them out of the building.

4. To Evacuate People with Permanent and Temporary Mobility Disabilities:

• Individuals at ground floor locations may be able to exit without help.
• Assist and accompany them to the evacuation site, if possible.
• Proceed to the stairwell or area of refuge.
• Notify emergency responders of the mobility impaired person’s location, by calling University Police at 973-655-5222.
• Stay with the mobility impaired person, if possible.

5. In the Event of a Fire Alarm Activation:

• Leave the building immediately–use the stairwells–not the elevator.
• If you are a mobility-impaired person on an upper floor, proceed to the stairwell landing on your floor and instruct someone to notify emergency response personnel of your location.
• No personnel will be allowed to re-enter the building without permission from University Police or the local fire department.
• Assist any person in immediate danger to safety, if it can be accomplished without risk to yourself.

6. To Report a Fire:

• Signs of fire include: smelling smoke, seeing smoke, or seeing actual fire; these are emergencies and need to be reported.
• If you encounter signs of a fire, immediately activate the building fire alarm system. (Note: Pull stations are shown on building evacuation plans. Pull stations are located by stairwells and exit doors). This will sound the fire alarm bells or electronic horns to evacuate the building and will automatically notify University Police. It is better to have these agencies respond and not be needed than it is to have them arrive too late for potential rescue.
• Notify University Police of the location and size of the fire by calling 973-655-5222 or by using an emergency telephone (which connects directly to University Police).
  Always call from a safe location (i.e. from outside the building).
• When a fire alarm sounds, all personnel in the affected areas should evacuate the building immediately. However, if the fire is small enough and it is safe to do so, use a nearby fire extinguisher to control and extinguish the fire. Don’t fight the fire if the fire is too large or out-of-control, if the atmosphere is toxic, or if you do not feel comfortable doing so.
• To operate a fire extinguisher, remember the word PASS:
  • Pull the pin. Hold the extinguisher with the nozzle pointing away from you, and release the locking mechanism.
  • Aim low. Point the extinguisher at the base of the fire.
  • Squeeze the lever slowly and evenly.
  • Sweep the nozzle from side-to-side.
• If the first attempt to put out the fire does not succeed, evacuate the building immediately.
• If possible, doors and windows should be closed as the last person leaves a room.
• Do not use elevators–use building stairwells.
• Upon evacuating the building, personnel shall proceed to the designated staging area.
• NO personnel will be allowed to re-enter the building without permission of University Police or the local fire department.

7. To Report an Outdoor Fire:

• Notify University Police of the location and size of the fire by calling 973-655-5222 or by using an emergency telephone (which connects directly to University Police). Always call from a safe location.

• Review the fire evacuation procedure for the room(s) in the building(s) in which you are assigned to conduct class(es) and/or in which you have an office. Locate all exit routes, secondary exit routes, and staging areas. During the first week of class or when a new student transfers to the class, review the evacuation plan, routes, and staging area with the students.
• In the event of an alarm, escort/lead students out of the building and report to the staging area. Upon arrival at the designated staging area, account for your students and report any missing students to the building manager. For further information on building managers, see page 6 of this plan.

• Review the fire evacuation procedure for the room(s) in the building(s) in which you are assigned to work. Locate all exit routes, secondary exit routes, and staging areas. In the event of an alarm, immediately leave the building and report to the staging area. Managers and department heads are responsible for designating a person to be responsible to account for the persons in their department or area(s) in the event that an emergency evacuation must occur. This person will take a head count (henceforth, “accountability”) and report any unaccounted-for individuals to the building manager.
• Staff members have the responsibility to ensure that, in the event of a fire alarm, all visitors and contractors are escorted out of their area of control, while the staff member is exiting the building. In larger areas, such as in dining facilities, libraries, retail stores, and bookstores, employees shall perform a sweep of their area while exiting. The staff members are to direct visitors and contractors to the designated staging areas, to await instructions from emergency responders. If any individual is not accounted for, such findings shall be reported immediately to the building manager.

• Community Directors are ultimately responsible for the fire evacuation procedure (Section III of this plan) in their respective buildings. It is the Community Director’s responsibility to make sure that each Community Assistant, Desk Assistant, and resident is familiar with the fire safety plan for his/her respective building(s).
• During their initial floor meeting each semester, Community Assistants will give fire safety information to the students who reside in their area of responsibility. If a resident has a guest in their residence hall, that resident is responsible for escorting his or her guests out of the building, in the event of an emergency evacuation.
• Upon a fire alarm activation, Community Assistants, Service Assistants, and Community Directors are to evacuate the building along with the students, guests, and/or residents and report to their designated staging area. Once at the staging area, the Community Assistants, aided by the Service Assistants, are to account for their residents. Any abnormalities (e.g. missing or otherwise unaccounted for students, staff, and/or guests) are to be immediately reported to the Building Manager or to University Police. Under no circumstance should any student, student employee, guest, or staff member remain in a building during a fire alarm activation, unless expressly directed to do so by emergency personnel.

Notification

Assembly Use Groups are buildings or areas used for the public to assemble. Examples of such buildings or areas on our campus include Kasser Theater, Memorial Auditorium, Student Center Ball Rooms, University Hall Conference Center, etc. When these areas are used for public gatherings (e.g. not for a class) an audible announcement shall be made not more than ten minutes prior to the start of each program to notify the occupants of the location of the exits to be used in the event of a fire or other emergency and the location of the building’s staging area.

Training

Those employees assigned to evacuate persons from assembly use groups shall receive training in fire safety, exit and evacuation plans, and their duties during an emergency. They shall receive this training at their orientation and annually thereafter.

As with all groups staying overnight on the Campus of Montclair State University, Summer Camps and other related groups will be responsible for their emergency evacuation and accountability. The person responsible for the entire group (henceforth, the “Supervisor”), is responsible for ensuring that all of his or her campers or building occupants are aware of this plan. In the event that the “Supervisor” has counselors, or other similar staffing to whom this duty may be delegated, he or she may delegate this duty to those individuals.

“Supervisors,” and/or their delegated counselors, are to review the emergency egress plan with the building occupants. (Section III of this plan) Please take note that the way you enter a building is not necessarily the closest exit. Familiarize yourselves with the building before an emergency occurs. Additionally, all occupants should be aware of the designated staging areas prior to the occurrence of an emergency.

In the event of an alarm, all building occupants are to immediately exit the building. Elevators are not to be used. Upon exiting the building, all occupants are to gather at the designated staging areas. Once the occupants are staged, accountability, in the form of a head-count, is to be taken. If counselors are taking accountability, their findings must be reported to the “Supervisor” immediately. Any discrepancy is to be immediately reported to the University Police Department, by either reporting to an officer upon his or her arrival on scene or by dialing campus police at 973-655-5222. It is important to remember to always err on the side of caution.

In the event that an individual is unable to exit the building, whether because of a physical impairment or due to a fire condition in the hallway, that person is to remain in his or her room and notify University Police at 973-655-5222. As a general practice, any group staying overnight should have the University Police Department’s telephone number programmed into their cellular telephones.

Finally, a fire drill will be conducted within 24 hours of each group’s arrival; participation in this drill is mandatory.

At no time should an employee of Montclair State University remain in a building when an alarm is sounding. The only exceptions to this are emergency personnel (e.g. the police department or a representative of the Department of Fire Safety). In the event that an unsafe condition exists, all such persons are to leave the building immediately.

Those employees who, as part of their job, are tasked with assignments which pose a fire hazard are to receive fire safety and extinguisher training. Examples of such employees include, but are not limited to, plumbers, welders, electricians, and employees assigned to conduct or oversee “hot work.”

All employees will report to the building’s staging area, in the event of a building evacuation. It is the responsibility of the hall directors, managers, and department heads to identify a responsible person (or persons, such as in the case of the residence hall directors) and a backup person (or persons) to account for all employees, faculty, staff, students, and guests in their area at all times. This person will establish a meeting area within the staging area designated for each building (See maps of staging areas and building evacuation plans for more details on staging areas) where, in the event of an emergency, his or her employees will meet. At the staging area, this person will account for all employees that are in his or her work area and report his or her findings to a Building Manager or an Assistant Building Manager. A Building Manager and Assistant Building Manager will be assigned to each building by the Dean or Vice President who is in charge of said building. The Building Manager is to remain at a centralized area within the staging area until accountability is taken and reported. In the event that a Building Manager is unavailable, the Assistant Building Manager will act as the Building Manager. Once all departments have checked in with the Building Manager, he or she will report to the front of the building and give his or her findings to a University Police officer.

Emergency aid (including emergency medical, fire, and rescue needs) will be provided by the University Police Department, the University Emergency Medical Services, and local fire departments. To receive services from these organizations, contact University Police at 973-655-5222.

In the event that a building needs to be evacuated and no fire condition exists, emergency responders may activate the fire alarm system to signal the need to evacuate the building. Notification may also be made through electronic voice communication systems (located in several of the University’s buildings), the campus text message alert system, and through e-mail. In the event that a fire exists in a building, the automatic alarm system will notify the occupants of the hazard. Manual pull stations may also be used to activate this system.

All fire alarm systems and campus-wide emergency phones are monitored at University Police headquarters. In the event of an activated fire alarm, the University Police Department will contact the appropriate fire department via phone or local police and fire radio frequencies. After they evacuate, assuming they have pertinent information, employees, students, or others are asked to contact University Police in the event of a fire. The additional data that can be gathered through your phone calls greatly helps responders in their response to our campus.

For further information and explanation of the duties under this plan, you may contact Robert Ferrara, Director of Fire Safety, at 973-655-5401.