Fire Safety

All student housing is inspected on a regular basis by the Palo Alto Fire Department for health, safety, and security code enforcement. Failure to comply with basic fire safety codes on a regular basis could result in the loss of academic year storage spaces and in extreme cases, your student-managed program. Important fire safety rules that everyone in your house must know and understand:

• KEEP HALLWAYS CLEAR AT ALL TIMES
• Fire equipment should always be operable and should never be used for anything but preventing fire. Improper use of fire equipment will result in student fines
• Battery operated carts are not allowed inside the residences. The only exception are wheelchairs. Motorized vehicles must be parked in the parking lot
• Bicycles cannot be stored in common areas particularly hallways and entryways
• Emergency lights should have clean lens faces
• Fire escapes must be clear at all times
• Sprinkler systems should not be used for hanging clothing or other objects
• Storage rooms with sprinkler coverage must keep clear 18" between the base of the daisy wheel on the sprinkler head and the stored items. If proper clearance is not given, the sprinkler will be obstructed
• Items stacked in storage rooms must be stacked and an aisle should be created to allow convenient access to any box at any time. Combustible liquids are not to be stored at any time (i.e., charcoal lighter fluid, kerosene, motor vehicles)
• Trash dumpsters must be kept closed at all times
• Fire exit pathways in student rooms must be kept clear at all times. Fire exit pathways are denoted by a strip of different colored carpet in the student room