Section 4.11: Power Outage

Occasionally there will be instances where student rooms, and even the entire building, will experience a power outage of some kind.  Sometimes this is due to overloading a circuit by plugging in too many devices.  Other times it may be an issue with the electrical system or even weather-related.  In the event of a power outage staff should:

In student rooms:

• Contact Campus Safety.  No appliances should be used until the problem is corrected.
• Talk with the student(s) about what is plugged in and try to determine what the source of the issue may have been. This will help them to avoid similar issues in the future.
• Have the student(s) unplug all electrical appliances in the affected areas.
• Follow-up with rooms next door as sometimes more than one room may be affected.
• Notify your ADRL of what happened by the following workday.

In the entire building:

• If the entire building's power is out, call Campus Safety.
• Check the fire alarm system to see if it’s still operable.  If not, a staff member will need to be available at all times to do additional fire watch rounds.
• Check the exterior doors.  Those on card access will remain operable for up to one hour on battery back-up, after which they will default to a locked mode.
• Check bathrooms, laundry rooms, kitchens, stairwells, etc. making sure there isn't any assistance needed due to the lack of natural light
• The staff member on duty will need to complete rounds every hour while the power is out.  If it becomes obvious that the situation will be an extended outage, or the outage occurs outside normal duty hours,  all staff who are available should attempt to return to the building and assist.
• Additional flashlights are available in the RA office for use during a power outage.  Make sure to carry a flashlight and enlist the help of other staff members. 
• Be aware of candle usage, noise level and the possibility of vandalism. Any incidents/violations during the power outage should be followed up with an incident report turned in by the following workday.