Students Seek to Raise Fire Safety Awareness

Olivia Artuso '26 trying on SWAT gear at her event. Credit: Iris Hau

The wailing sirens and flashing lights of the Fairview Fire Department are familiar to the Marist College campus. With this sight fresh on her mind, Resident Assistant (RA) in Upper West Cedar Olivia Artuso ‘26 organized a Fire Safety event for her residents on Sept. 20. 

“Although educational programs are a requirement for all Resident Assistants, my purpose since beginning this job is to make each event as intentional and effective as possible,” said Artuso. “Fire safety is a frequently discussed topic, especially during September when the Fire Department visits campus throughout the month.” 

Artuso wanted to give all students, especially her residents, a chance to learn about fire safety from the Fairview Fire Department, Poughkeepsie Police Department and campus resources such as the Student Nighttime Auxiliary Patrol (SNAP). 

Around 40 students attended the event, which went on for over two hours. Many of Artuso’s residents made up the crowd, speaking to the presenters and partaking in a safety and security raffle. One of the stations even allowed students to try on some of the fire and SWAT gear that were brought by the departments. 

The event was based on pre-planned fire safety events scheduled for the day, but Artuso wanted to take it a step further; she wanted to add in cooking safety.

“Given the numerous fire alarms that have been going off across campus, I deemed it appropriate to incorporate something regarding cooking in conjunction with general fire safety,” said Artuso. “Since this is a college campus, including safety tips on how to make safe decisions when going out also seemed like a natural addition as well.”

Upper West is primarily a sophomore-only residence, so for many students, townhouse living is a small step toward adulthood. Students face new challenges, such as cooking and cleaning for themselves, which some struggle with. Many of the fire alarms that are heard blaring across campus are from cooking catastrophes.

Gourmet Dining, Marist’s on-campus food provider, came to chat about the fire safety tips. Artuso hopes to further develop Gourmet Dining’s participation in the near future by including more interactive activities for students. 

Since the fire department visits Marist every week for the month of September, Artuso explained that she would love to develop each of those sessions and foster more RA involvement so that the effects can be more wide-reaching and impactful for all students.