2008 Woodie Awards
Library collections escape water, smoke damage
Librarians assisted with evacuating several floors of Moody.
By Lauren Nichole Barrera
Issue date: 6/30/08 Section: News
Originally published: 9/4/08 at 4:59 PM CSTLast update: 9/15/08 at 9:41 AM CST
Librarians Ralph Domas and Bob Singh were on duty at the reference desk on the second floor of Moody Learning Center when a fire broke out on the fifth floor Wednesday night.
"We always worry about the books and them getting damaged if something like this were to happen," Domas said. "But luckily, we went up there this morning and all of the books were fine."
Domas added that the only damage was to the reference area and to the ceilings and carpet on the floors above where some water had seeped through.
Domas, librarian for 33 years, was helping an individual at the time the fire alarm sounded.
"We had heard the alarm going off upstairs, but it had not reached the second floor," Domas said. "After I finished helping that person, I ran upstairs to check the third floor, but the alarm wasn't on either."
He then ran up the stairs to the fourth floor of the building and found the alarm had been ringing.
The alarm sounded in two sequences. First lights flashed and a high-pitched sound blared, followed by a voice informing people there had been an emergency and to evacuate immediately.
Domas said there was an officer of the district department of public safety already on the fourth floor evacuating students, faculty and staff and searching for the fire.
Domas raced back down to the third floor to make sure everyone evacuated and then proceeded down to the second floor where he and Singh exited, making sure everyone cleared the floor.
"We stood on the porch of Moody, because we weren't really sure what was going on," Domas said. "An officer approached us and told us to move to the parking lot because there had been a fire."
Domas said a fire truck arrived soon after at about 9:30 p.m.
"We always worry about the books and them getting damaged if something like this were to happen," Domas said. "But luckily, we went up there this morning and all of the books were fine."
Domas added that the only damage was to the reference area and to the ceilings and carpet on the floors above where some water had seeped through.
Domas, librarian for 33 years, was helping an individual at the time the fire alarm sounded.
"We had heard the alarm going off upstairs, but it had not reached the second floor," Domas said. "After I finished helping that person, I ran upstairs to check the third floor, but the alarm wasn't on either."
He then ran up the stairs to the fourth floor of the building and found the alarm had been ringing.
The alarm sounded in two sequences. First lights flashed and a high-pitched sound blared, followed by a voice informing people there had been an emergency and to evacuate immediately.
Domas said there was an officer of the district department of public safety already on the fourth floor evacuating students, faculty and staff and searching for the fire.
Domas raced back down to the third floor to make sure everyone evacuated and then proceeded down to the second floor where he and Singh exited, making sure everyone cleared the floor.
"We stood on the porch of Moody, because we weren't really sure what was going on," Domas said. "An officer approached us and told us to move to the parking lot because there had been a fire."
Domas said a fire truck arrived soon after at about 9:30 p.m.
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