Student journos unalarmed

by Stephanie Vanicek

April 16, 2008

AS the rest of the Education and Humanities building was evacuated on April 16, student journalists in Room 2.126 typed away, blissfully unaware of a fire alarm drill.

At 9.40am, the alarm sounded in much of the building, but not in the uni’s newsroom - an isolated pod that sits beside the campus worship centre.

If not for quick-thinking fire warden Mark Busani, who arrived in his red firie’s hat to tell the budding reporters, the newsroom students would not have heard.

“I do not know if it’s an accidental oversight, but the fact that we could not hear the fire alarm is not acceptable,” said Simon Johnson, a student who was present. “If this was a real emergency, we could’ve been in real trouble.”

Mr Busani told eMU News this was not the first time the alarm could not be heard from the newsroom. He raised the issue with uni powers that be last year.  

“I have asked for the alarms in this building to be looked at after the last fire evacuation six months ago,” Mr Busani said. “However, nothing has been done.”

Chief warden for the building, Karyn Barenberg, said she too knew of the problem.

“I have already informed the company in charge of the fire evacuations, First Five Minutes,” Ms Barenberg said.