The Student Room Group

Fire Alarms in Uni?

Hello!

Gonna start with a massive understatement, but I don’t do well with fire alarms. I have an anxiety disorder, and fire alarms usually send me into pretty bad anxiety attacks. Joyous /s.

I know fire alarms in first year uni accommodations need to be tested, but I’ve been pretty worried about this. I’ve mentioned this vaguely in the disability section of the UCAS form, so hopefully it won’t be a complete surprise, but I’m wondering if people have had similar experiences? Is there anything unis can really do to lessen this stress? Ideally I’d love to just,,,, not be in the accom when the alarm goes, but I have no idea how fire alarm tests work there. Are there schedules? Is it at the same time every time? How often? Is it in the middle of the night/early morning?

(Also, do uni students ever become responsible enough cooks to not trigger the alarm whenever they want to make toast? I’ve seen memes and I’m hoping they’re just jokes because I don’t know what I’ll do if I have to hear alarm sounds every day.)

If anybody has any details specific to Warwick that would be great as that’s where I’m hoping to go🤞🤞🤞🤞, but I’d be thankful for any insights from anyone regardless of uni:smile:
Reply 1
There have been enough tragedies down the years that the safety of the many will, possibly unfortunately, trump the anxiety of the few.

However, should you choose private accommodation, there would be no requirement for such tests unless you do the tests yourself. You should of course do that.

Perhaps your heightened anxiety could be put to the accommodation providers and you could be included somehow in fire prevention precautions. Much of the accommodation estate in university will be managed by external providers.
I'm at Warwick (and part of quite a sizeable group of people who discuss fire alarms often :lol:) - it can really vary year on year based on the cohort.

We have weekly alarm tests that last about 10-20 seconds, which we are given a two hour window in the middle of the day for, so lots of my friends do just make sure they're out at that time. We also have a yearly full evacuation drill, which happens some time between 7:30 and 8:30am on a morning in the first few weeks of term. You can sometimes work out when yours will be, as they work their way around campus, so if you hear the accommodation next to yours test one day, you're likely the next day. They do also warn some people when these drills are, but that seems to be more variable this year, as several people I know who usually get warned were told they couldn't be (but others still were).

In terms of students setting off the alarms, like I say it can really vary year on year. I'm in the same accommodation as last year, but we had more fire alarms this year in week 1 than we had in the entirety of last year. We've not had any since though, so maybe people have improved (or at least learnt the tricks not to set them off)! Some accommodations will generally be better than others (i.e. the fewer bedrooms/kitchens on your alarm loop, the fewer alarms you'll get in general - there are about 450-500 rooms on the same loop in my halls, and all it takes is one of those people being silly).
Think the fire alarm went off in my uni halls at 2am at least once a week for the whole year. Requiring the whole building to evacuate.

For some reason toast is really popular with drunk students...
(edited 6 months ago)
Original post by furtherfrommaths
Hello!

Gonna start with a massive understatement, but I don’t do well with fire alarms. I have an anxiety disorder, and fire alarms usually send me into pretty bad anxiety attacks. Joyous /s.

I know fire alarms in first year uni accommodations need to be tested, but I’ve been pretty worried about this. I’ve mentioned this vaguely in the disability section of the UCAS form, so hopefully it won’t be a complete surprise, but I’m wondering if people have had similar experiences? Is there anything unis can really do to lessen this stress? Ideally I’d love to just,,,, not be in the accom when the alarm goes, but I have no idea how fire alarm tests work there. Are there schedules? Is it at the same time every time? How often? Is it in the middle of the night/early morning?

(Also, do uni students ever become responsible enough cooks to not trigger the alarm whenever they want to make toast? I’ve seen memes and I’m hoping they’re just jokes because I don’t know what I’ll do if I have to hear alarm sounds every day.)

If anybody has any details specific to Warwick that would be great as that’s where I’m hoping to go🤞🤞🤞🤞, but I’d be thankful for any insights from anyone regardless of uni:smile:

Hi!

I totally get not wanting to be around for them, it's loud and not very fun however it's one of those things that are going to happen sadly. With the weekly tests normally unis will tell you when (it might be in-between 30mins each week but it'll be around the same time) so you'll be able to not be around for these if you'd like however it is just around 20 seconds of noise and it stops. It is also normally around midday at most places. With students setting the alarms off you can't really do to much about that. It varies a lot on accommodation. Last year for me someone would set it off maybe once a month or less however I have friends who used to be having to go outside every week because of them. But I've never heard of it being set off everyday so it shouldn't be that frequent

As @nerak99 said private accommodation might be a good option for you as if you are in your own flat only you will set off the alarm and there will be no weekly testing. However you may miss out on some of the university experience of halls. It's just something to weigh up :smile:

I hope this helps a bit, if you have any more questions feel free to ask!

- Jessica
2nd year, Computer Science (Artificial Intelligence)
It's great that you've mentioned your concerns in the disability section of UCAS; universities can provide support tailored to your needs. As for fire alarms, alarm schedules vary, but universities often notify students in advance. As for cooking mishaps triggering alarms, it's a common occurrence but improves with time as students get used to kitchen appliances. Warwick or any university should have support systems in place to address your concerns—reach out to accommodation services once you're there. Best of luck with your studies! 🤞🎓

Original post by furtherfrommaths
Hello!

Gonna start with a massive understatement, but I don’t do well with fire alarms. I have an anxiety disorder, and fire alarms usually send me into pretty bad anxiety attacks. Joyous /s.

I know fire alarms in first year uni accommodations need to be tested, but I’ve been pretty worried about this. I’ve mentioned this vaguely in the disability section of the UCAS form, so hopefully it won’t be a complete surprise, but I’m wondering if people have had similar experiences? Is there anything unis can really do to lessen this stress? Ideally I’d love to just,,,, not be in the accom when the alarm goes, but I have no idea how fire alarm tests work there. Are there schedules? Is it at the same time every time? How often? Is it in the middle of the night/early morning?

(Also, do uni students ever become responsible enough cooks to not trigger the alarm whenever they want to make toast? I’ve seen memes and I’m hoping they’re just jokes because I don’t know what I’ll do if I have to hear alarm sounds every day.)

If anybody has any details specific to Warwick that would be great as that’s where I’m hoping to go🤞🤞🤞🤞, but I’d be thankful for any insights from anyone regardless of uni:smile:

It's great that you've mentioned your concerns in the disability section of UCAS; universities can provide support tailored to your needs. As for fire alarms, alarm schedules vary, but universities often notify students in advance. As for cooking mishaps triggering alarms, it's a common occurrence but improves with time as students get used to kitchen appliances. Warwick or any university should have support systems in place to address your concerns—reach out to accommodation services once you're there. Best of luck with your studies! 🤞🎓

Fatima
LSBU Student Rep
Reply 6
I have heard of flashing alarms for those with severe hearing disabilities. Perhaps your uni could put you in a room with this if it is not required for one of these students. Or swap the one in your room. Of course, you would still hear the ones in the corridor but less loudly.
Original post by furtherfrommaths
Hello!

Gonna start with a massive understatement, but I don’t do well with fire alarms. I have an anxiety disorder, and fire alarms usually send me into pretty bad anxiety attacks. Joyous /s.

I know fire alarms in first year uni accommodations need to be tested, but I’ve been pretty worried about this. I’ve mentioned this vaguely in the disability section of the UCAS form, so hopefully it won’t be a complete surprise, but I’m wondering if people have had similar experiences? Is there anything unis can really do to lessen this stress? Ideally I’d love to just,,,, not be in the accom when the alarm goes, but I have no idea how fire alarm tests work there. Are there schedules? Is it at the same time every time? How often? Is it in the middle of the night/early morning?

(Also, do uni students ever become responsible enough cooks to not trigger the alarm whenever they want to make toast? I’ve seen memes and I’m hoping they’re just jokes because I don’t know what I’ll do if I have to hear alarm sounds every day.)

If anybody has any details specific to Warwick that would be great as that’s where I’m hoping to go🤞🤞🤞🤞, but I’d be thankful for any insights from anyone regardless of uni:smile:

Hi there, sorry to hear about your worries.

For the fire drills, depending on the University, there may be frequent weekly testing. (I would recommend getting in touch with your Accommodation's reception to clarify what time this is.) This could help you get prepared for the alarm/ leave the building if you like.

From my personal experience, most students have been quite responsible. In my first year, I can only recall the alarm being set off 3 times in my block, and in second year 2 times. Though this really does vary depending on the students there. Perhaps you can make the University accommodation team aware of your circumstances. They may be able to arrange something for you?

I hope this helps.
Chloe
-University of Kent Student Rep
Original post by furtherfrommaths
Hello!

Gonna start with a massive understatement, but I don’t do well with fire alarms. I have an anxiety disorder, and fire alarms usually send me into pretty bad anxiety attacks. Joyous /s.

I know fire alarms in first year uni accommodations need to be tested, but I’ve been pretty worried about this. I’ve mentioned this vaguely in the disability section of the UCAS form, so hopefully it won’t be a complete surprise, but I’m wondering if people have had similar experiences? Is there anything unis can really do to lessen this stress? Ideally I’d love to just,,,, not be in the accom when the alarm goes, but I have no idea how fire alarm tests work there. Are there schedules? Is it at the same time every time? How often? Is it in the middle of the night/early morning?

(Also, do uni students ever become responsible enough cooks to not trigger the alarm whenever they want to make toast? I’ve seen memes and I’m hoping they’re just jokes because I don’t know what I’ll do if I have to hear alarm sounds every day.)

If anybody has any details specific to Warwick that would be great as that’s where I’m hoping to go🤞🤞🤞🤞, but I’d be thankful for any insights from anyone regardless of uni:smile:

My fire alarms went of for 30 seconds every wednesday at 11am in my first year accommodation! Not sure about every uni but most are regular! All spaces on university had fire alarm tests on a wednesday so you might have to find the schedule for that as well. Setting fire alarms off is very variable. No one in my house did but the flat above us did.
Reply 9
Original post by furtherfrommaths
Hello!

Gonna start with a massive understatement, but I don’t do well with fire alarms. I have an anxiety disorder, and fire alarms usually send me into pretty bad anxiety attacks. Joyous /s.

I know fire alarms in first year uni accommodations need to be tested, but I’ve been pretty worried about this. I’ve mentioned this vaguely in the disability section of the UCAS form, so hopefully it won’t be a complete surprise, but I’m wondering if people have had similar experiences? Is there anything unis can really do to lessen this stress? Ideally I’d love to just,,,, not be in the accom when the alarm goes, but I have no idea how fire alarm tests work there. Are there schedules? Is it at the same time every time? How often? Is it in the middle of the night/early morning?

(Also, do uni students ever become responsible enough cooks to not trigger the alarm whenever they want to make toast? I’ve seen memes and I’m hoping they’re just jokes because I don’t know what I’ll do if I have to hear alarm sounds every day.)

If anybody has any details specific to Warwick that would be great as that’s where I’m hoping to go🤞🤞🤞🤞, but I’d be thankful for any insights from anyone regardless of uni:smile:

We (not at Warwick I'm afraid) used to have the fire alarm test in the morning of a certain day each week. I was usually in lectures or in the library so only heard it a couple of times, and it wouldn't last very long, like 10-30 seconds or something. I think there was an email or poster saying when the tests would be, and I'm sure you could email the accommodation people for more information :smile:

I think actual fires are pretty rare it's usually just people burning toast or forgetting to turn the electric hob off. We did manage to burn something in the oven and not set the alarm off, so I don't think they're normally too sensitive :smile:
Original post by furtherfrommaths
Hello!

Gonna start with a massive understatement, but I don’t do well with fire alarms. I have an anxiety disorder, and fire alarms usually send me into pretty bad anxiety attacks. Joyous /s.

I know fire alarms in first year uni accommodations need to be tested, but I’ve been pretty worried about this. I’ve mentioned this vaguely in the disability section of the UCAS form, so hopefully it won’t be a complete surprise, but I’m wondering if people have had similar experiences? Is there anything unis can really do to lessen this stress? Ideally I’d love to just,,,, not be in the accom when the alarm goes, but I have no idea how fire alarm tests work there. Are there schedules? Is it at the same time every time? How often? Is it in the middle of the night/early morning?

(Also, do uni students ever become responsible enough cooks to not trigger the alarm whenever they want to make toast? I’ve seen memes and I’m hoping they’re just jokes because I don’t know what I’ll do if I have to hear alarm sounds every day.)

If anybody has any details specific to Warwick that would be great as that’s where I’m hoping to go🤞🤞🤞🤞, but I’d be thankful for any insights from anyone regardless of uni:smile:

I only had one fire alarm in uni and it was for a real fire someone had burnt their toast and it caught fire but the fire brigade dealt with it avoid the first Sunday night in halls though because they have a fire drill at about 5 am pretty universally.
Reply 11
Original post by jonathanemptage
Sunday night in halls though because they have a fire drill at about 5 am pretty universally.

I definitely remember a 5 am alarm on a Sunday morning… and everyone wearing their slippers and dressing gowns in McDonald's haha
Original post by furtherfrommaths
Hello!

Gonna start with a massive understatement, but I don’t do well with fire alarms. I have an anxiety disorder, and fire alarms usually send me into pretty bad anxiety attacks. Joyous /s.

I know fire alarms in first year uni accommodations need to be tested, but I’ve been pretty worried about this. I’ve mentioned this vaguely in the disability section of the UCAS form, so hopefully it won’t be a complete surprise, but I’m wondering if people have had similar experiences? Is there anything unis can really do to lessen this stress? Ideally I’d love to just,,,, not be in the accom when the alarm goes, but I have no idea how fire alarm tests work there. Are there schedules? Is it at the same time every time? How often? Is it in the middle of the night/early morning?

(Also, do uni students ever become responsible enough cooks to not trigger the alarm whenever they want to make toast? I’ve seen memes and I’m hoping they’re just jokes because I don’t know what I’ll do if I have to hear alarm sounds every day.)

If anybody has any details specific to Warwick that would be great as that’s where I’m hoping to go🤞🤞🤞🤞, but I’d be thankful for any insights from anyone regardless of uni:smile:

Hey there @furtherfrommaths !

Most accommodations test their fire alarms at least once a week and it usually comes at the same time each week. I remember in first year that we had two tests during the year that we had to leave the flat for as if it was a real fire drill. We weren't told the date or time that this would happen because they wanted it to feel as authentic as possible but pretty much it was once at the start of the year and once at the end. You could try and speak to your accommodation about this and I'm sure they'd be happy to accommodate as it's a genuine reason. I often found the tests were in the morning, maybe like late morning but this might be different for each accommodation and we were definitely told before moving in what the weekly test time would be.

To be quite honest, university fire alarms are quite sensitive to any sort of smoke because they understand the risks and the doors are all fire doors anyway. It might not even be that much smoke and it could trigger it. Most accommodations have their alarm turn-off point at reception so sometimes it does go off for around 5 mins at a time until security has checked it out. It definitely won't be everyday unless you're stuck with a really rubbish cook or a smoker but most accommodations do have smoking areas just off-site. Uni buildings also have a weekly fire alarm test and we weren't necessarily told, we just noticed it occurred at a certain time each week. You could definitely ask though when the test would be.

Hope this helped!
Lucy - Digital Student Ambassador SHU
Thank you all so much for your replies!! it really means a lot. I’ll definitely speak to the accommodation people when I apply for it to see if there’s anything they can do for me, or at least for the general schedule of when the tests will be.

This has really helped to ease my worries. thank you all so much!

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