Public Safety & emergency services respond to a fire alarm at Kohlberg Hall on Sunday afternoon. No damages were reported, and no fire started, but the incident was concerning enough to prompt a noticeable presence of emergency services vehicles on campus.
“The fire alarm in Kohlberg was due to a malfunctioning fan belt, which created smoke and a burning odor. [Public Safety] officers notified the fire company and facilities services,” said Director of Public Safety Michael J. Hill. It is unclear what specific fan belt Hill is referring to; it may have been the fan belt of a device located inside the building or a fan belt of the building’s internal systems, possibly the ventilation system.
Despite the fact that it was a weekend, the fire alarm prompted roughly 20 students to evacuate the building and keep a moderate distance from the building while emergency services arrived at the scene.
Kate Musen ’18 was working inside a classroom when the incident began.
“We were working in a classroom on the second floor when the alarm went off. We left the room and smelled something like burning plastic coming from the hall with the economics professors’ offices,” she said.
After less than an hour after arriving on the scene, the emergency service vehicles and personnel began leaving the scene, suggesting that the incident had been resolved. The Fire Department of the Borough of Swarthmore could not be reached for comment.