Paulson Residence Hall has an interior fire alarm/central station that is monitored by trained Fire Life Safety Directors. It is fully sprinklered and contains smoke detectors. 

In the event of a fire, residents’ quick and safe evacuation within Paulson takes precedence. Our building operates on a Staged Evacuation system, a protocol unique to high-rise buildings. Staged evacuation is a phased and orderly withdrawal of occupants. Under this system, the alarm sounds in the zone of incident (fire floor) and all adjacent zones (floor above and below).

By law, staged evacuation drills are performed multiple times a year. Please note that, if present at the time of the staged evacuation drill, resident participation is mandatory. Residents will hear an announcement over the room/hallway intercoms. When your floor is announced, please meet in the designated area for a brief presentation from our Fire Life Safety Director (covering such protocols such as how/when to evacuate and how/when to use a fire extinguisher).  The presentation is brief and lasts 5-10 minutes.

What do Paulson's alarm tones mean? Click the links below to hear the tones in question.

Residents should be mindful not to bring in or order prohibited items. These items will be held at the Resource Center until you schedule a time to remove it from the premises, as they violate our fire safety policies:

• Hot plates, toasters, toaster ovens, pressure cookers, grills, air fryers, or other open flame or heating coil devices

• Personal/upholstered furniture including desk/gaming chairs, headboards, storage ottomans

• Air mattresses

• Air conditioners, air coolers, and electric heaters

• Candles or Incense

• Flammable decorations including natural or artificial Christmas trees

• Halogen lamps

• Extension cords and multi-plug adaptors (exception: power strips with built-in surge protectors are permitted)

• Portable washers and dryers

• Self-propelled vehicles including skateboards, hoverboards, scooters, electric bikes, and similar devices

Rooms found to be in violation of our prohibited items policy

will be subject to student conduct documentation.

For more information on Fire Safety at NYU, please visit NYU’s Safety, Security, & Transportation page.