By Wyatt Behringer || Contributing Writer

Over the past month, F&M’s Facilities and Operations (F&O) and a local contractor took on the task of labeling the buildings on campus with large, distinct numbers. The project was completed despite adverse weather conditions, using many different lifts, and benefitting from frozen ground.

Most buildings only have one number each, such as the “eight” placed on Old Main. However, seperate facilities housed within one building have various numbers, such as the “10” and “10A” affixed to Keiper Hall and the Green Room Theater,
respectively.

According to Nic Auwaerter ’11, sustainability coordinator in F&O, the building identification project was the product of many different committee deliberations and began shortly after the College Facilities Committee (CFC) concluded that the numbers would be useful in emergency situations.

“The identification numbers will help first responders to more quickly identify buildings, as not everyone who comes to campus is familiar with which building is ‘Thomas Hall’ or the difference between the ‘Weis House Commons’ vs. ‘Weis Hall,’” he said.

The color and size of the numbers were also run through the CFC and were chosen to be visible, but in consideration that the numbers did not infringe upon the integrity of the campus buildings. The numbers face the outside streets surrounding the campus and main passageways within the campus to benefit first responders that are approaching in an emergency situation.

The intent of these numbers is to ensure the safety of the F&M community in dire circumstances. The building identification project was a measure that took the combined efforts of many different entities on campus, mainly led by the CFC.

First-year Wyatt Behringer is a contributing writer. His email is wbehring@fandm.edu.

By TCR