A fire alarm disrupted classes in the Egan School of Nursing on Monday, Feb. 9, at approximately 1:30 p.m., prompting students and faculty to evacuate the building, resulting in early class dismissals across several departments.

Students were instructed to exit the building using the stairwells, while professors guided them outside. According to students, it was quickly communicated that the alarm was triggered by a water main break rather than a fire.

Olivia Newberry, a sophomore who was attending class at the time, said the evacuation was orderly and informative. “One of the nursing professors was telling us what was happening while we were all walking down the stairs, so everyone was aware it was a water main break,” Newberry said. She added that because her class had only 15 minutes remaining, students were dismissed early once the alarm stopped.

Newberry, who was on the top floor of the building, said she did not witness any flooding but observed large numbers of students exiting the building under faculty direction.

Another student, sophomore Tessa Smith, was attending a microbiology class on the first floor of Egan when the alarm sounded. She said her professor, Christine Rodriguez, advised students to pack up and end class early due to the limited time remaining. Smith noted that this response appeared consistent across multiple classes.

Smith also reported that her microbiology lab professor, Professor Darly, confirmed that a pipe had burst. A photo taken at 1:42 p.m. showed activity near the skybridge between Bannow and Egan, further emphasizing the impact.

No injuries were reported, and students were allowed to leave once it was clear the situation was not an emergency. The incident caused minimal disruption beyond the early dismissal of classes.