Updated as of Nov. 19 at 9:40 a.m. to include most recent update from Elon E-alert
Updated as of Nov. 18 at 6:22 p.m. to include comment from Chief of Campus Safety and Police Joe LeMire.
Elon University fire alarm systems may not alert authorities if they are activated, according to an E-alert sent out around 5:15 p.m Nov. 18.
According to an E-alert set out around 8:15 a.m. Nov. 19 the system has been repaired and restored to normal.
According to Chief of Campus Safety and Police Joe LeMire, fire alarms will still ring, but some systems may not send an alert to emergency services as they usually would.
The E-alert wrote that if a fire alarm goes off, evacuate the building and choose someone to call 911 once in a safe area.
According to LeMire, not all buildings are affected and it’s unclear which buildings will fail to alert first responders.
“It’s not every building, we’re just not positive which ones right now are the affected ones, but if it’s in the building the alarm will go off,” LeMire said. “That part is not affected at all.”
LeMire said campus police notified Alamance County’s 911 office about the system issues. He said the department is asking for the help of the Elon community in communicating in the event of an emergency.
“You do have a fire alarm and an audible signal and everything else is in place,” LeMire said. “It’s the communication back to us, and that’s what we need help with.”
According to the E-alert, a fiber optic line was cut in Greensboro, which may cause issues with the alert system.
Fiber lines can accidentally be cut for a few different reasons, LeMire said, such as construction or severe weather. It is currently unknown what caused the cut.
Lemire said Information Technology, Facilities Management, and Campus Safety and Police all play a role in managing the fire alarm system, and IT and Facilities are actively monitoring the repair of the line.