Alarms

The present law has significantly lowered the level of safety [in the dorms]," Fox said he a student-faculty Housing Committee meeting on Tuesday, Complying with the present problem, he added.

Authorities also attribute a few of the false alarms to student negligence.

Fox said he has suggested asking the state fire manful to set a lower sensitivity level for college dorms.

But Breen said the University would hold off making further changes in the alarm system until results of a recent "experiment" in Lowell House are make available. The alarms there were recently re-calibrated and cleared of dust, he explained.

So far there has been no noticeable decrease in alarms in the House in the month since the changes, he said.

Confiscation Proposal

To ensure that student evacuate during alarms, Fox said at the housing meeting he has also considered a suggestion that House masters and tutors check undergraduate rooms during fire alarms and confiscate the bursar's cards of those who remain inside, forcing them to appear before the Administrative Board.

He added that he was "reluctant" to follow the procedure, however, because he did not who "ability people over the heat what say, are student pretty more."

Some students are making the best of the false alarms. A questionnaire recently circulated in Adams House making students when the preferred fire alarms to take place, whether the alarm should occur more frequently than they have, and in which enteric in the House the alarms should ideally sound.

The alarms have also proven to grist for the mills of some social anthropologists in the House. "If creates a lot of good gossip to see who comes out with whom" in the early morning, said Eric D. Grunchaum '84.