Fire Safety Information

Fire Safety

Fire safety is a matter of urgent concern for all members of the Marymount Manhattan community. The College owns and manages one residence hall, located at 231 East 55th Street in the Borough of Manhattan. In addition, the College housed students at 1760 Third Avenue and 200 East 6 ^th Street, both located in the Borough of Manhattan. All facilities are equipped with building-wide fire sprinkler systems.

Fire drills take place at each location two times during each calendar year. For information regarding the College’s fire safety polices, rules and evacuation procedures, please see our Resident’s Guide to Community Living.

Fire Statistics 2020

Marymount Manhattan College did not have any fire-related incidents in student housing during the 2019-2020 academic year.

Fire Safety Evacuation

In the case of an alarm, we expect all residents to remain calm so that staff members may address the situation. We will do our best to evacuate the buildings safely and quickly in case of an emergency. Fire drills will occur throughout the year. In the event of a fire drill, residents must follow all instructions given by the emergency staff through the announcement system.

Please familiarize yourself with these procedures so that you are led to safety in the best possible method.

55th Street and Cooper Square have a computerized fire warning system and trained fire/security personnel on site at all times. Floor plans and diagrams for emergency staircases and exits are posted in public areas on all floors and on the back of your apartment door. Residents should familiarize themselves with these maps to be able to exit promptly during fire drills or actual emergencies.

In the event of a fire or other emergency, use the fire alarm pull-station located on every floor to alert that there is a fire on your floor. Act promptly for the safety of yourself and others. Do not try to fight a fire; instead take action to get out of the building.

If a fire is in your apartment:

Close the door to the room where the fire is and leave the apartment.
Make sure EVERYONE leaves the apartment with you.
Take your keys if they are available, but don’t spend time looking for them or anything else if they are not.
Close, but do not bolt the apartment door.
Alert people on your floor by knocking on their doors on your way to the exit.
Activate the fire alarm pull station if you can safely do so.
Use the nearest stairwell to leave the building.
Do not use the elevator.
Alert security when at the front desk.
Call 911 once you reach a safe location. Do not assume the fire has been reported unless firefighters are on the scene.
Notify the firefighters if anyone is unaccounted for.

If you hear an alarm and the fire is not in your apartment:

Stay inside your apartment and listen for instructions from security unless conditions become dangerous. Security will make announcements over the all-call system to notify residents where an alarm has been activated and who should evacuate.

Both 55th Street and Cooper Square were built to prevent the spread of fire (this is why doors cannot be propped). Full evacuations are rarely necessary. If an alarm is activated on a floor, security will make an announcement to evacuate the:

Floor of the activated alarm
Floor above
Floor below

If an alarm is activated on a floor, security will make an announcement to evacuate the following areas:
• Floor of the activated alarm
• Floor above
• Floor below

If the fire is not in your apartment/suite, but you must evacuate:

First feel your apartment door and doorknob for heat. If they are not hot, open the door slightly and check the hallway for smoke, heat, or fire.
If you can exit your apartment safely, follow the instructions above for “If A FIRE IS IN YOUR APARTMENT/SUITE.”
If you cannot safely exit your apartment or building, call 911 and tell them your address, floor, apartment number, and the number of people in your apartment.
Seal the doors to your apartment with wet towels or sheets, and seal air ducts or other openings where smoke may enter.
Open windows a few inches unless flames and smoke are coming from below.
Do not break any windows.
If conditions in the apartment appear life threatening, open a window and wave a towel or sheet to attract the attention of firefighters.
If smoke conditions worsen before help arrives, get down on the floor take short breaths through your nose. If possible, retreat away from the source of the smoke, heat, or fire.

55th Street

IF YOU EVACUATE: Assemble at least 150 feet from the building, on the north side of 55th Street, closer to 2nd or 3rd avenues. Do not block the Fire Department’s access to the residence hall. Maintain absolute silence so instructions can be heard. Wait until the appropriate officials indicate that you can re-enter the building.

All alarms will sound building-wide. Listen for notice of where the alarm is coming from and who should evacuate.

Cooper Square

IF YOU EVACUATE: Assemble on 6th Street toward 2nd Avenue. Do not block the Fire Department’s access to the residence hall. Maintain absolute silence so instructions can be heard. Wait until the appropriate officials indicate that you can re-enter the building.

Cooper Square is equipped with a fire alarm system with varying alarms and tones which are used to alert residents and building staff of the location of the fire. Each suite contains a soundbox in the common area which is connected to the PA system. In the event of a building-wide alarm, please locate the soundbox in your common area and listen carefully to the directions given by security personnel.

Building Wide Alarms

Evacuation alarm: A signal (slow whooping sound; in ADA suites, there are strobe lights) that comes from the soundbox located in the common room and indicates that there is a fire condition on your floor, the floor above, or the floor below. You must evacuate.

Alert tone: A signal in the hallway soundboxes which is used to alert the building personnel that there is a fire within the building. This is not an evacuation tone.

Local Alarms

Additionally, there is a carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide detector in each bedroom and common area. When this signals, it means that there is smoke or carbon monoxide within the room, and it will only ring within that suite.

CO2 alarm: A signal which comes from the smoke detector in you room, which is indicated by three long alarms.

CO alarm: A signal which comes from the smoke detector in your room, which is indicated by three short alarms.

For either Local Alarm:

If it is a non-emergency alarm (burnt food, popcorn, etc):

-Correct the condition (open windows to vent smoke, turn off stove remove pot/pan from heat source, etc.).

- DO NOT keep the suite door open - smoke that escapes into the hall can trip the smoke detectors there which will initiate an FDNY response and floor evacuations.

- Security will respond to your room to assess the situation and ensure everyone is safe.

If it is a fire: Follow instructions above for : “IF A FIRE IS IN YOUR APARTMENT SUITE” and evacuate safely.