Emergency Situations + Health/Safety Issues

24-Hour Desks: The Founders Green front desk, located at the main entrance and staffed 24 hours a day, is the central information point for safety and security concerns within Founders Green and for 1534 W Mount Royal Ave. The desk assistants monitor those entering the Founders Green 24 hours a day and are able to view the parking lots and the front of Founders Green through security cameras. The desk assistant is also connected to the R.C., R.A.s and with Campus Safety staff on campus. You may call or visit the desk at any time, day or night, if you have a concern or need information. The Meyerhoff House and Gateway desks function in the same capacity as the Founders Green front desk, but for the residents of Meyerhoff House and Gateway. Students living in the Mount Royal apartments should go to the Gateway front desk for assistance. 

Medical Emergency

If an ambulance is necessary, dial 911 and provide the following information:

1. Tell them your situation and the location

• If you are in the Founders Green, the address is: 120 McMechen Street, and your apartment number or the location of the emergency;

• If you are in Meyerhoff House, the address is: 140 West Lafayette Avenue, and your apartment number or the location of the emergency;

• If you are in the Mount Royal Apartments, the address is: your building number and apartment, West Mount Royal Avenue;

• If you are in the Gateway, your address is, 1601 Mount Royal Avenue and your apartment number or the location of the emergency.

2. Then call Campus Safety dispatch at 443.423.3333. The Campus Safety dispatcher will contact Residence Life and Campus Safety staff who will assist you.

If an ambulance is not necessary, but you or another student need medical assistance:

• During regular weekday office hours (9 a.m. to 5 p.m.), call Chase Brexton at 410.225.4118 and talk with the nurse.

• After 5 p.m. or on weekends, call either the Founders Green Front Desk (410.462.7500 or 7501), the Meyerhoff Desk (443.552.1600 or 1601), The Gateway desk (410.225.5286) or Campus Safety (443.423.3333) for assistance.

Residence Life and Campus Safety staff will assist you.

Fire Emergency

If you have a fire in your apartment, get out of the apartment, shut the door and activate a hand-pull alarm. Then move with others down the stairwell to the designated evacuation location. Report the fire's location to staff and fire officials.

If the smoke detector goes off and you smell smoke, get out of the apartment staying near the floor, shut the apartment door, and activate the hand-pull alarm in the stairwell. Then move with others down the stairwell and to the front of the designated evacuation area. Report what happened to staff and fire officials.

If the smoke detector goes off and you know that the source of the smoke is not dangerous (for example, cigarette smoke), air the apartment out and the smoke detector alarm will go off on its own accord. Because neighbors often call the front desk when they hear smoke detectors go off, notify the front desk in your community and tell them what happened.

If you think that your smoke detector is defective, ask the front desk to put in a work request immediately. Staff will check it quickly. If it is beeping periodically, our staff may just need to replace the battery. You cannot turn off or cover your smoke detector. Remember, tampering with or disconnecting a smoke detector or other fire equipment is prohibited because it endangers you and others. Severe disciplinary action will be taken if you tamper with any safety equipment. If you suspect that your smoke detector is not working properly, ask that it be checked. If you ever hear an alarm and are unsure as to the nature or cause of the alarm, please treat the situation as an emergency, exit the location and inform the relevant staff immediately.

Fire Safety

All residents and guests must evacuate their apartments when a fire alarm sounds. Walk quickly to the nearest stairwell and go out of the nearest exit to the designated gathering point. Follow the directions of all housing and security staff and any fire personnel.

Tampering with any safety device (including smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, fire extinguishers or fire alarms) is expressly prohibited and considered a serious violation. Disciplinary action could include dismissal from College housing and possibly arrest and prosecution. In the interest of fire safety, the following items have been banned from College housing and will be confiscated:

• NO halogen floor lamps;
• NO string lights of any kind;

• NO candles (the only permissible candles are decorative candles with new wicks-these may not be lighted in College housing. Candles with burnt wicks will be confiscated. The practice of melting wax for any purposes, including for art projects, is not permissible.);

• NO incense.

In addition, only UL-approved electrical products may be used in College housing. All extension cords and plug strips must be UL approved. Please look for the "UL" symbol on products before bringing them to campus.

Personal and Community Safety in College Housing

In addition to the physical features built into the residence halls (such as enclosed living spaces, security screens, window stops and closed-circuit monitoring of the building exteriors), MICA provides numerous other services designed to keep the communities as safe as possible. Examples of this would be the MICA Evening Shuttle, along with the rounds completed within the complexes by the R.A. staff at night.

While Campus Safety staff work around the clock, there are some precautions we ask you to take to minimize the possibility of crime on campus and to ensure your own safety. The most important precaution you can take is to always be aware of your surroundings--both on and off campus. Students must work together with staff to provide their own safety. Being safe in and around the campus housing means doing the following:

• Never prop open building entrances; if you see an open door, always report it to staff;

• Report strangers immediately;

• Report anything that seems suspicious, no matter how small, to the 24-hour desk;

• Lock your apartment door and take your key with you when you leave-even if you are just going to another apartment or doing your laundry;

• Keep the window stops in place on your interior windows and never open your interior windows farther than the locks allow;

• Keep your window screens in place;

• Never leave valuables in your apartment in plain view;

• Take the evening shuttle to and from campus buildings at night;

• Use the parking lots with care, stay alert, and walk quickly and directly to the entrance of the building.

Please remember if you do not follow these guidelines, not only are you jeopardizing your own safety, but also the safety of everyone else in the residential community.

Scheduled Health and Safety Inspections

Residence Life staff will conduct general inspections of apartments each semester. These inspections are made to check for compliance with fire and safety codes, necessary maintenance repairs and the general cleanliness of apartments, which if dirty may pose health risks or attract pests (particularly kitchens and bathrooms). It is important that all students living in on-campus housing follow all guidelines for appropriate use of materials (solvents, chemicals, etc.) when making art in the residence halls. Information about appropriate use of materials can be obtained in the resource displays located in the residence hall studios, from your R.A., or from your faculty members.

A safe and healthy community requires that residents maintain adequate cleanliness and health standards. Members of the staff do not make the judgment that neat is better than messy; however, a clean apartment, particularly in the kitchen and bathroom areas, is essential to the health of residents as well as the rest of the community. For this reason, we ask you to keep your apartment clean.

The inspections will be announced ahead of time and you will be notified of the date and time. Reasonable efforts will be made to ensure that at least one resident of the apartment is available at the time of the inspection. You will be notified of the results of the inspection and, if necessary, you will be given an opportunity to clean. If you do not clean after being informed of the necessary requirements, you will be charged for the time and labor it takes for Facilities Management staff to do the cleaning. If you have damaged the apartment, do not attempt to make a repair. Facilities Management staff will repair all damages to the apartment and the residents responsible may be charged for the repairs. Any policy violations encountered during these routine inspections will be addressed.