Idlewood Inn Residence has committed significant resources to ensure your day-to-day safety and to prepare for and respond effectively in the event of an emergency.

In Your Residence

Make it harder for crime to happen in your Idlewood Inn residence. Treat your room or suite as you would any home in a large, metropolitan area.

  • Lock your door and windows whenever you leave your room, even if you plan to be gone for “just a minute.” Take your room key when you leave.
  • Never leave purse, wallets, or valuables exposed; store them out of sight. Be especially careful with your credit cards, which are easy to steal and use again.
  • Use a security device, such as a cable lock, with your computer.
  • Mark your computer, stereo, and other valuable equipment with your name, driver’s license number, and/or home state. Use an engraving tool or simply use an invisible marker or a permanent marker to write your name somewhere a thief wouldn’t think to check.
  • Keep a flashlight nearby.
  • Be sure doors latch behind you when you enter or leave a building in the residence.
  • Don’t let people into your unit, hallway or room unless you know them.
  • Don’t let tailgaters—people you don’t know—follow you into a building.
  • Don’t prop open exterior doors.
  • Get to know your neighbors and staff in the residence.
  • Offer assistance to strangers in your residence. Direct visitors to the Front Desk and ensure staff are made aware of their presence. Visitors who have a reason to be there will appreciate your help. If they don’t have a reason to be there, contact the Front Desk immediately. …even if you are unsure why they are there.
  • Carry your key at all times.
  • Never lend your key to anybody.
  • Schedule a safety talk meeting for members of your residence.
  • Call 9-911 from a residence phone or 911 from most cell phones if you hear or see something suspicious.

Decorating Your Room

  • Use decorations made only from non-flammable material, or treated with a flame-retardant solution or process that has been approved by the Fire Marshal.  Obtain approval from management staff if you are unsure.
  • Do not allow decorations to obstruct or conceal (in whole or even in part) emergency routes, signs, or devices—for instance, exits, exit lights, fire alarm pull boxes, fire hose cabinets, fire extinguishers, sprinkler heads, and smoke detectors.
  • Do not decorate the corridor or your door with wrapping paper.
  • Do not use any form of tape for decorations, only sticky tack is allowed.

Lights and Electricals

  • Use only lights or electrical equipment that bear the Underwriters Laboratory (UL) seal of approval.
  • Do not use lights or electrical equipment with loose sockets or frayed or damaged wires.
  • Do not run wiring through doorways, under carpeting, or through holes in walls.
  • Never plug one extension cord into another; use a multiple-outlet power strip with an internal circuit breaker.
  • Always turn electrical equipment off after use and when you leave the room.
  • Never wrap decorative rope lights or holiday lights around exposed sprinkler pipes.

In An Emergency

  • Please review the Student Handbook to learn emergency procedures that help ensure your safety during your time at the Residence. Also, take time to learn the Emergency Evacuation Plan posted in your room or Front Desk notice board, locate the nearest exits and fire extinguishers, find the location of the Emergency Assembly Point for your building unit, and know the routes to get there.

How to Report an Emergency

Anytime you need immediate police, fire, or medical response:

  • Call 9-911 from room phones;
  • Call 911 from most cell phones (not all carriers connect to 911 services) or a pay phone;
  • Or inform Front Desk immediately

Any of these methods will reach the local 911 Emergency Dispatch Center, which is staffed 24 hours a day. Intentional misuse, prank calls, or tampering with these phones is a criminal offense.

Meeting at Your Emergency Assembly Point

Know the location of the Emergency Assembly Point (EAP) for your building. EAPs are open areas away from buildings where residents can gather out of harm’s way in the event of a fire, earthquake, or other emergency.

Power Outage

Power outages are usually brief and affect small areas of the residence. However, to prepare for the possibility.

  • Keep flashlights and fresh batteries on hand.
  • Do not overload power strips.
  • Use surge protectors to protect sensitive electronic equipment.

If a power outage occurs in your building:

  • Inform Front Desk
  • Do not light candles if the power goes out; they are not permitted in residences.
  • Unplug personal computers.
  • Unplug non-essential appliances and equipment.
  • Open windows for additional light and ventilation.
  • Go to a building that hasn’t been affected by the outage.

Building Evacuation

  • Evacuate your residence when you hear the sound of an alarm. Drills are no exception.
  • Exit the building quickly and safely, closing the door behind you.
  • Walk, do not run.
  • Wear shoes to avoid injuries from broken glass and debris.
  • Help others to evacuate—knock on doors and check bathrooms as you leave the building. Help those with a physical disability evacuate the building.
  • Go to the Emergency Assembly Point for your building (outside Front Desk)
  • Check in with your RA or other residence staff member responsible for the whereabouts of residents.
  • Be alert for suspicious persons or activity. An alarm may be part of a crime in progress.
  • If the alarm in the building has been set off by accident, inform Front Desk immediately and explain the situation.
  • Report any vandalism or tampering with the alarm.

Fire

  • Watch Fire Safety Video by clicking here.
  • Fire safety devices are installed in all residence buildings.
  • All housing facilities are equipped with monitored fire alarm systems, most housing facilities have automatic, monitored fire sprinklers, and all residence hall rooms and bedrooms have smoke detectors.
  • Sprinkler heads are activated individually by heat when the ceiling temperature reaches 155° F. Do not throw Frisbees or balls inside your residence or hang objects from sprinkler heads. Once activated, a single sprinkler will spray 20 gallons of water per minute until it is shut off.  Misuse will result in a fine.

Be Aware

  • Know the location of fire extinguishers and alarms, and know how to use them.
  • Know the nearest exit and the location of your Emergency Assembly Point. You can find this information on the Emergency Evacuation Plan posted inside every building and inside your room or at Front Desk.
  • If you have been assigned to a fire exit room, keep the designated path to the door or window clear at all times. Fire exit rooms may be inspected at unannounced times; failure to keep the pathway clear may result in a $500 fine and termination of your occupancy.
  • Never tamper with fire alarms or equipment. Note: It is against the law and Residence policy to tamper with fire equipment or to set off a false fire alarm. Violators are subject to a minimum $500 fine, Residence disciplinary action, and criminal penalties.
  • Leave fire and stairwell doors closed at all times.
  • Keep corridors and room exits free of obstructions.
  • Do not use items prohibited in residences including candles, torches, hookahs, incense or any other open flame device; hot plates, toasters, electric heaters, and halogen lamps.
  • When cooking on a stovetop, never leave the stove unattended.
  • Use only plug strips and extension cords that bear the Underwriters Laboratory (UL) seal of approval.
  • Do not use extension cords with multiple sockets at one end.

If You Smell Smoke or Detect a Fire

  • Activate the nearest alarm and, from a safe location, immediately call 9-911 from a residence phone or 911 from most cell phones or pay phone.
  • Before opening any door, use the back of your hand to see if the door is hot—if it is hot, leave it closed and stuff towels or clothes in the cracks and open a window.
  • If the door is not hot, open it slowly (CAUTION: the doorknob may be hot) and be prepared to close it quickly if necessary.
  • Cautiously exit the building—carry a towel or blanket to protect yourself from flames and smoke—and take your key with you if you can’t exit the building and must return to your room.
  • If you see or smell smoke in a hall or stairway, use another exit.
  • Go directly to your building’s Emergency Assembly Point to check in. Remain there to receive information.
  • Do not return to the building until you are notified that it is safe to do so.

If You Cannot Evacuate Your Room

  • Close the door to the corridor and seal cracks with wet towels.
  • Open the window at top and bottom a few inches.
  • Hang out a white sheet to signal for help.
  • Soak a large sheet, blanket, or rug and get under it near the window.