Vaping, Smoking, and Unwanted Fire Alarms

What’s Happening

46% of fire alarms at Carilion facilities between Aug. 1, 2023, and Aug. 1, 2024, were caused by smoking or vaping inside buildings.
82% of the smoking/vaping alarms were caused by Carilion employees.
Roanoke Fire/EMS are pulled from real calls to address false alarms at our facilities, endangering the lives of others in the community and increasing rescue times.
To address these issues, new smoking and vapor detection systems are being installed in every room across Carilion facilities.

As an organization committed to the health and wellness of all visitors, it is critical that we are not smoking on campus. Each time an alarm is triggered, Roanoke Fire-EMS responds with five vehicles, totaling around $1,000 each time. In addition to the health and financial impact, there are potential criminal penalties for those found to have maliciously set off an alarm.

How You Can Help

To help us remain committed to our mission and values, please keep the following in mind:

Community: Every time the fire alarm sounds, the local fire department responds. This removes resources for the surrounding community. Life-Guard and other medical flights cannot land on the roof helipad during a fire alarm.
Collaboration: An unwanted fire alarm impacts every unit and department in the hospital and the local fire department. Help lessen this impact by not smoking or vaping on campus.
Commitment: Commit to helping us lower our number of unwanted alarms.
Compassion: Have compassion for our patients and visitors by not smoking or vaping inside our facilities. A fire alarm is loud and obnoxious, as it’s designed to be.
Courage: Have the courage to speak up if you see someone doing anything that will activate the fire alarm when there is no hazard.
Curiosity: What are some ways to reduce unwanted alarms? Follow our tobacco-free policy and don’t smoke or vape inside Carilion facilities or on Carilion property.