A reward program may be responsible for the 42-percent reduction in the number of on-campus fire alarms firefighters have responded to since August, a University official says.

So far this year, 62 false-alarm responses have occurred. Thirty-one of those responses took place in the spring, while 12 occurred during the summer.

As of Monday, 18 false alarms have been reported this fall, five of which occurred on the same night, Brad Dillard, assistant director of the Physical Plant, said.

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Even though there doesn’t even need to be one pulled alarm, there has been a significant improvement after the last couple of years, Dillard said. It’s real low compared to what we have seen last spring.

In 1995, the Carbondale Fire Department responded to 71 on-campus alarms, and in 1996, there were 55 on-campus false alarms.

The ratio of on-campus responses to that of Carbondale community responses dropped dramatically since 1995, according to statistics provided by the Carbondale Fire Department and SIUC Physical Plant. In 1995, 62 percent of the department’s responses were to on-campus locations. So far in 1997, 20 percent of the responses have been to campus.

While the percentage of on-campus vs. community responses has diminished since 1995, University Housing enacted a program in August that awards students $500 for information regarding false alarms because the actual number of on-campus false alarms was growing.

We have signs to let individuals know this program is in place, Cindy Perkins, coordinator of residence life for Brush Towers, said. If there is a $500 award, students are more likely to be watchful of people pulling fire alarms.

Perkins would not comment if the University is investigating tips from students this fall.

A conviction for pulling a fire alarm is a Class 4 felony, which carries a punishment of a $10,000 fine and up to three years in prison. Between 30 and 120 hours of community are also required.

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False alarms also cost the students living in the residence halls, Perkins said. Fees of up to $1,000 could be divided and billed onto the bursar bills of the students.

Fire officials also are concerned that the number and frequency of false alarms is making students reluctant to evacuate the residence halls.

Courtney Reczek, a Brush Towers resident, said it can take up to 30 minutes to empty the 17-floor towers.

I’ve heard it so many times I don’t take it seriously at all anymore, Reczek, an undecided freshman from Lake Forest, said.

This is also a concern of Carbondale Fire Department Chief Clifford Manis, who has noticed the apathy of students to exit the towers.

I have noticed that once the number of alarms increases, students tend to become complacent, Manis said. People are putting themselves at risk by not exiting the building in a quick and orderly fashion, in case of a real fire, which does happen on occasion.