Fire alarm at university building caused by water pump surge, Ithaca NY

Fire & Arson

Reported: 11/13/2025 08:21 AM

Martha Van Rensselaer Hall, Ithaca, NY 14850

Fire and emergency teams responded to a fire alarm at Martha Van Rensselaer Hall on Cornell University campus. No fire was found. The alarm was triggered by a surge from a water pump in an adjacent building.

Audio|Source: Tompkins County Fire/EMS

02:15

Transcript:

00:00

Pescension 1, engine 2, the truck, near Reservoir Ave, Martha Van Rensselaer Hall,

00:06

across as a garden Ave.

00:08

For a fire alarm indicating the third floor mezzanine, and that's Sets engine 1, engine 2, the truck,

00:16

near Reservoir Ave, of Martha Van Rensselaer Hall, crosses a garden Ave.

00:21

For a fire alarm indicating third floor mezzanine, your time is 1122.

00:32

2417 to 963 opt-9.

00:40

417, you got 963 offsign.

00:44

Word on the scene.

00:45

We have nothing showing from the exterior.

00:48

It is showing certain form of editing,

00:54

water flow.

00:56

Our TNI group is that the building next door running fire pump might be causing the issue.

01:06

Heading up to investigate.

01:11

2417, I copy on all.

01:14

You're heading up to investigate as could be possibly related to a neighboring building.

01:20

We're going to continue.

01:33

We went down to Human Ecology that has a fire pump that supplies Martha Van.

01:38

They shut the pump off for me and the pump stayed off so that's letting me know that there's no water that's actually at Martha Van or that would have triggered that pump to come back on again.

01:52

2419, copy on all that makes sense, so we'll call this a water surge.

01:58

Unless you have any additional needs, we're going to return.

02:02

10-4[1], I'm confident that's what it is, the water surge, from them turn to pump on.

02:09

All right, understood.

02:10

Appreciate the help.

02:12

All units in route to Cornell, you may return.

Police codes explained

The following codes appeared in the transcript and are explained below:

[1]

10-4: Acknowledgement / Message received

Disclaimer:
This transcript was automatically generated and may contain inaccuracies. Please verify the information independently.

Location mentioned:

Martha Van Rensselaer Hall, Ithaca, NY 14850

This shows a Google Street View of the area near the location, which might not be the exact address.

Correct

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