Buildings such as Shima and Science and Math had some touch ups this summer that went a couple of weeks into the fall semester.
As a student, I was impressed to see the school was keeping up on its exterior.
On Wednesday, Aug. 29 in Danner Hall, 26 students and instructors were stuck in a freight elevator for two and a half hours.
But after hearing about the two-and-a-half-hour elevator malfunctioning in Danner Hall, I started wondering about the maintenance of Delta’s interior.
In general, elevators are bound to malfunction sooner or later, but shouldn’t Delta be having yearly, even quarterly checkups?
“Elevator stoppages are actually quite common nationally…while waiting for their arrival (specialist) emergency teams will continue to work to free the elevator,” said Delta College District Police Sgt. Jim Bock said via email.
Although not all students and staff take the elevators, safety is important for those who do.
“I usually take the stairs anyway because its a form of exercise for me and plus the elevator sometimes takes too long,” said San Joaquin Delta College student Analisa Sampayan.
Not everyone knows what to do when a situation like this happens, but Bock has four safety tips.
“One: Stay calm and don’t panic. Overreacting may cause a full-blown panic attack… it could manifest into a medical emergency… there is more than enough oxygen for you and other passengers.
Two: Press the call button. The dispatcher will remain on the line to ensure an open line of communication is maintained.
Three: Relax. Whatever it takes to relax will assist everyone mentally and physically. Share a friendly conversation (if there are others with you).
Four: Do not try to escape: Wait for the professionals to safely return you to a floor and exit under their direction,” said Bock via email.
Although elevators malfunctioning is common, as a student here at Delta I am comforted knowing that Delta is aware of these commonalities and run maintenance checks on them.
On Sept. 3-4, there were at least two elevators on campus not in use for the day as I am sure they were being checked on, which is a good sign from the college.