Faulty Air Conditioner Creates Smoke Scare at Rider

An odor of smoke prompted authorities to evacuate students and staff from the Memorial Hall academic building on ’s campus in Lawrence Township for about 45 minutes Tuesday afternoon (April 10).

The smoke condition was reported about 4:15 p.m. Rider security officials supervised the evacuation of the building while Lawrence Township firefighters searched for the source of the odor.

Firefighters soon confirmed that the smoke odor had been generated by a window air conditioning unit that malfunctioned in a classroom on the second floor, according to township fire officials and Rider University spokesman Dan Higgins.

There was no actual fire and the faulty air conditioner was removed from the building. Students and staff were allowed back inside about 5 p.m., Higgins said, noting that no classes were cancelled.