St. Cloud State University

Student Organization : Manual

Atwood Memorial Center Space Use Policies

VII. Ceremonial Burning

1. Ceremonial burning in meeting rooms and other non-office areas: Atwood Memorial Center does not allow the burning of incense, sage, or ceremonial open flame except for religious ceremonies at scheduled events, and only then with advance approval. The burning of small amounts of incense for religious purposes during a scheduled event is allowed only when the following requirements are met.
   1. Burning is in an enclosed space so that the smoke will not disturb participants in other parts of the building.
   2. Enough time must be scheduled in the room to allow for adequate ventilation of the space after the event is over (approximately one hour after the material is extinguished).
   3. The volume of the products of combustion must not be large enough to set off the fire alarm system.
   4. The smoke or fumes must not irritate or cause health problems for others in the building.
   5. The fire safety of the building must not be compromised.
   6. Requests for burning of incense, sage, or open flame made less than one week in advance may be denied because of logistical problems.
   On occasion there will be special situations where the volume of combustibles will be sufficient to trigger a false alarm in our fire safety system. These situations will be examined on a case-by-case basis by the Assistant Vice President for Facilities Management depending on the requested room and smoke source. Special permission may be granted and special precautions taken. These precautions may involve assigning an Atwood or university employee with a radio and fire extinguisher to the room of the ceremony. The employee must be trained in fire suppression and Atwood's emergency procedures as he/she functions as both the fire alarm system and fire suppression system. These special preparations for large volumes of smoke may be arranged on very special occasions, but not for frequent or weekly events. When there is not adequate staff in the building to cover the special fire alarm/suppression role, additional staff will be brought in and charged back to the sponsoring group. Due to staffing requirements, requests for this level of smoke must be received at least one week prior to the event.
2. Ceremonial burning in offices
   In order to facilitate ceremonial burning of sage, incense, sweet grass, cedar, etc., by cultural groups within the Atwood Memorial Center, the Atwood Center Council in conjunction with American Indian Student Office and the American Indian Center has developed the following guidelines:
   1. No prior notification to Atwood staff is necessary to conduct a spiritual/ceremonial burn in a cultural center office space.
   2. Any spiritual combustibles will be burned in a covered, fireproof container.
   3. Spiritual combustibles will never be left burning unattended.
   4. Individuals conducting the burning need to be aware of the location and proper use of fire extinguisher.
   5. Burns will be conducted with the office door closed.
   6. An air filtering appliance will be used immediately following the burn to reduce impact on others in the building. The filtering system will be provided by the Atwood Memorial Center.
   7. Individuals conducting the burn agree to use the smallest amount necessary in order to reduce the potential impact on others who share the Cultural Center and surrounding area.
   8. Should a complaint be received, the Atwood management will assess the situation and consult with the individual conducting the burn to find a resolution.

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