Any security-related questions regarding the residence halls may be directed to housingsecurity@mit.edu. In the event of an emergency, please contact MIT Police at 617-253-1212 or dial 100 from any MIT phone.
Fire Safety
Fire emergencies can occur unexpectedly with little or no warning. Please take the time to review fire safety information, tips, and resources to ensure your safety and the safety of your residential community.
Fire Prevention
There are simple steps you can take to help prevent fires in your living areas, which can be caused by many different things such as overloading an electrical outlet or forgetting to turn off the stove. When in doubt, always double-check whether you’ve left on a burner or forgot to unplug a device.
Please take a moment to review the fire safety information provided by the MIT Environment Health & Safety Office (EHS), as well as this virtual EHS fire safety training.
Evacuation Procedure
In the unlikely event of a fire, please follow the building evacuation procedure:
- Select the nearest exit
- Do not take the elevator
- Activate the manual fire alarm if not already sounding
- Travel along the right-hand side of corridors and stairwells
- If possible, direct yourself to the designated assembly locations* for your building (indoor or outdoor), and away from fire lanes
- Do not stand in front of the building entrance — Firefighters require easy access to the building
- If there is inclement weather, take shelter in nearby buildings wherever possible
- Once the Cambridge Fire Department or staff from Housing & Residential Services give the ‘all clear,’ you may return to your room
*Assembly locations are reported on the Emergency Evacuation Plan posted on each floor next to elevators and stairs.
If You Encounter a Fire
- Stay calm and evacuate the area immediately according to the evacuation procedure.
- Do not attempt to extinguish a fire unless it is necessary to do so for you to escape.
- If an alarm is not already sounding, activate the nearest fire alarm pull station as you evacuate or, if this is not possible, yell “Fire” as you depart the building.
For additional guidance, please review information on MIT’s Emergency Management website. In short, evacuate as quickly as possible!