One month later, still no fire alarms

KYLE SCHECK
PHOTOGRAPHER

AIDAN SHAPIRO
STAFF WRITER

03/16/2026

On Jan. 25, a pipe burst in the lobby that connects the Carey and Bonbright residence halls. The pipe burst damaged the fire alarm panel, leaving students without a proper system. On Jan. 26, an email was sent to residents of both halls, promising replaced smoke detectors in every room the following week.

Over a month later, students living in Carey and Bonbright still have no new smoke detectors or fire alarms. Instead, a “fire watch” officer has been placed in the lobby, with no information on when the fire alarm system will be replaced and activated.

On Feb. 26 at around 4 a.m., the “fire watch” officer smelled something burning and awoke almost every student in each respective building. Luckily, the issue was resolved, and students were allowed back into the building after a few minutes.

“We still haven’t gotten any emails from the school saying when the fire alarms will actually be fixed. We had gotten an email saying the school would need access to our rooms between Feb. 2 and 4 to fix the alarms. That has still yet to happen,” said Hannah Gibbons (‘26).

As a student living in Carey myself, I worry about the next time something like this happens. If not every student was awoken by the “fire watch,” students could be injured or dead in minutes without even being aware of the fire.

“The college initially pursued a straightforward, one-for-one replacement of the existing fire alarm system to restore functionality as quickly as possible… After further evaluation, it became clear that a direct replacement was not feasible. As a result, the project now requires installation of a new, modern fire alarm system,” said Ryan Stoudt, Director of Facilities and Campus Services.

While I was able to get this information from an interview, students in Carey and Bonbright were not told about this.

While most students were awoken that February morning, some were not.

“I heard banging on the doors but that’s typical when people have early morning practices. It wasn’t until I heard two girls talking in the hallway outside my door about an evacuation that took place and an electrical fire in the basement,” said Gibbons.

Realistically, anyone could have been trying to get me out of my room, so if there is going to be a “fire watch” for the time being, Campus Safety needs a dedicated script that they use when there’s something going on.

The worst part about this situation is the lack of communication. Since Jan. 26, students living in Carey and Bonbright have had no emails, RA meetings or anything similar. Especially considering the fact that we were told the system was to be replaced in early February, it makes you wonder why the college has not updated the residents of Carey and Bonbright.

“The building is operating under a State of Michigan approved fire watch protocol… It is important to note that the building’s sprinkler system remains fully functional and will operate as designed in the event of an actual fire… Further updates will be presented when they come available,” said Stoudt.

A simple email informing and updating residents of Carey and Bonbright on the plans for the fire alarm system would go a long way in easing their worries about their building.