A Note From A Fellow Resident Elvia Gonzalez -

"As an employee at an assisted living facility in Alvin, Texas I am all too aware of the importance of fire safety and being informed in not only what to do in an emergency situation, but how to prevent them as well. For this reason I believe that all residents of Guinan Hall should be well informed in what are no-no’s when living in the dorms, because it is our responsibility as members of this community to look out for not only our own personal safety but to look out for the safety of our neighbors. The first thing that you can do to prevent a fire is to cook only in the designated kitchen area located on the first floor of Guinan. We are not allowed to have cooking devices in our rooms other than our microwave and for good reason. Nearly forty percent of house fires are started through unattended stoves and ovens, and for us this is the equivalent to using a hotplate in our rooms."  

"Smoking is another fire hazard that can be prevented if using caution. You may have noticed that there is a sign on the outside of Guinan reminding you not to smoke within twenty five feet of Guinan, this means no closer than the bench out front. This may seem like a small inconvenience to some, but is vital in keeping cigarettes that have not been put out properly or left unattended from starting a fire that could cause damage to property or injury to others. Roughly twenty five percent of people who die in fires are killed by smoking related causes, and most of these deaths are a result of unattended cigarettes that catch fire when they come into contact with cloth materials such as mattresses, bedding, or upholstered furniture. So if you feel the need to light up, take the extra minute to walk outside, and by outside I don’t mean your balcony! Electrical fires are also a concern for those living in the dorms. As college students we usually make good use of all of the electrical outlets at our disposal, but we must be cautious on what we plug in to where. To avoid over using the outlets, you shouldn’t be plugging in a power strip/surge protector into a second power strip/surge protector, a term referred to as “piggybacking”. If you need to plug in multiple items and don’t have enough room, consider alternating what you have plugged in based on what you are using at the present time. This not only is good electrical safety, but conserves electricity as well. Remember, overloading an electrical outlet can cause a fire!"

"There are lots of things that we can do to make our home away from home a safer place to live, and these are only some of the things that we can do to prevent fires. For more information on fire safety in the dorms refer to your student handbook."