Pre-Fall Semester Preparation Underway at IU Indianapolis RAs

With just a couple of weeks until the start of classes, some students have already returned to campus and are getting settled into their residence halls. For dozens of resident assistants, this means immersing themselves in hands-on training to prepare for the arrival of new students.

"That way the first time isn’t when they’re in a fire," said IU Indy Director of Emergency Management and Continuity Jason Kephart.

The focus of their training is fire safety, with participants navigating through a dimly lit, smoke-filled room to prepare for emergency situations. According to Kephart, 85% of university housing fires are cooking fires, often caused by unattended cooking.

"They’re kinda like that first line of defense. They’re gonna be there every day. They’re gonna know who is not there. They build up that relationship. When that emergency happens, they’re able to give us the vital information on who’s still here, who’s not here," Kephart said.

Senior Jeremy Black reflected on their time as an RA, saying it's bittersweet to be going into their last year. "Getting to be involved with people. Getting to shape people’s experiences made my college life really cool," they said.

RAs like Ky Berry are also preparing for the fall semester, which begins on August 25. Berry, a junior studying social work, became an RA to help recent high school graduates transition into university life and is excited to welcome students in just a couple of weeks.

"I wanna be an advocate for residents, specifically first-gen residents. That’s why I’m in the Tower community. Primarily serving first-year students and helping them navigate the first-year college experience," Berry said.

As RAs continue to prepare for the arrival of new students, Kephart emphasized the importance of timing, noting that 30 years ago, you had 17 minutes to escape a building fire, but today you have less than three minutes. "The clock is ticking," he said.