UMass Amherst Community Rallies to Support Students Affected by Olympia Drive Fire

The UMass Amherst community has come together in extraordinary ways in the past week to support the students who have been displaced following the devastating Olympia Drive fire of Friday, Nov. 7.

The fire, which occurred off campus at a construction site adjacent to the privately owned Olympia Drive Apartment complex in Amherst, spread to the complex where nearly all of the tenants were UMass Amherst students. Ultimately, 230 students were impacted by losing their homes and possessions.

An on-campus Emergency Resource Center, staffed by the university and the Red Cross, was set up on Saturday, and student residents of Olympia Place who did not check into the center were contacted by the Dean of Students Office for a needs assessment and further support.

"I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to the thousands of students, staff, faculty, alumni and community members who have come together to offer care, resources and encouragement as those affected begin the road to recovery," Chancellor Javier Reyes wrote in an email to the university. "On Saturday, when I spent time with Olympia Place residents and their families at the Emergency Resource Center, it was clear just how profound the financial, academic and emotional toll of this fire has been. But I was heartened by the sense of urgency and care that was evident in both the Emergency Resource Center and among the members of the Emergency Operations Center working next door to support our students during this crisis."

Staff at the Emergency Resource Center prepare to assist students impacted by the Olympia Drive fire the morning of Saturday, Nov. 8, with light breakfast items prepared for the students upon arrival.

"From the moment the fire began Friday night, our Emergency Operations Center team was engaged - first monitoring the situation in real time all night long, and then activating the full EOC early Saturday morning," says Jeff Hescock, UMass Amherst executive director of Environmental Health & Safety and Emergency Management. "The response across campus was immediate, unified and deeply compassionate. Within hours, departments from across the university came together to ensure that affected students had a safe place to stay, access to meals, replacement technology and emotional support. The professionalism, empathy and speed with which our community mobilized truly reflect the extraordinary strength of UMass-a powerful reminder that when our students are in need, we are one UMass."

"We learned in the early hours of Saturday morning that nearly 200 students would be displaced for the night," Hescock says. "We moved quickly trying to plan for different scenarios and figuring out how many students needed a bed. We started to plan for 200 people, then 32 people. In the end, only a handful of students elected to stay on campus Friday night."

Sloane was just one of the comfort dogs available to students at the Emergency Resource Center the day after the fire.

In the days following the fire, offices across campus quickly pivoted to provide support for the students.

Staff from Student Affairs and Campus Life (SACL) and the Dean of Students Office identified and contacted those most directly affected by the fire to provide support, and Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Fouad Abd-El-Khalick sent an email to the university faculty on Nov. 8 asking that instructors provide accommodations to, and work with, students to "give them the space, support and time they need" as they begin the recovery process. Staff from the Office of Global Affairs (OGA) have also been available at the Emergency Resource Center to provide complete document copies of previous I-20 forms, passports, and F-1 visa stamps for affected international students, and OGA has reissued all I-20 forms to students.

Andrew McMahon, executive director of University Health Services, says, "As soon as I heard what had happened, I coordinated a meeting with the UHS clinical leadership. Our pharmacist volunteered right away to come in. Our medical director was on site to write or verify prescriptions at other pharmacies, if needed. Nurses were there to help identify patient needs. That first day we helped more than 30 families. A lot of students lost contact lenses and glasses, so we've been able to help with that as well."

Olympia Place residents have also been given priority access to counseling and support services at the Center for Counseling and Psychological Health (CCPH).

"Our hearts are with every student affected by the Olympia Place fire as they navigate such an unexpected and difficult disruption," says Vice Chancellor Shelly Perdomo-Ahmed. "In the midst of this hardship, the Dean of Students Office has shown extraordinary leadership and care-mobilizing the campus community, coordinating resources, and ensuring that every student feels seen, supported, and connected. Their compassionate and tireless work embodies the very best of UMass."

How You Can Help

Faculty, staff and community members looking to support the students impacted by the fire can do so in a number of ways.

A Unity Walk in support of the Olympia Drive students is currently scheduled from 3:30-5 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 20. The walk, which will start at the UMass Recreation Center, will begin with brief remarks, followed by a walk through campus, and end with light refreshments back at the Rec Center.

Bags of personal care items that were made available to students at the Emergency Resource Center the morning after the fire.

New2U, the campus thrift store on the second floor of Hampden, across the main lobby from the Hampden Art Gallery, is accepting donations of material goods, including clothing, kitchenware and school supplies to support the students. Donations can be dropped off 9 a.m.-10 p.m., Monday to Friday. UMass Downtown is also accepting new/unused toiletries, socks and underwear Wed.-Sun., from 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Food donations, which may be brought to one of the November Food Drive bins at 10 locations around campus until Nov. 18, will be delivered to the campus food pantry.

Monetary donations can be made to the UMass Amherst Foundation's Student Care & Emergency Response Fund (SCERF), which supports students facing critical needs such as this. The normal grant process to receive funds has been temporarily suspended to expedite assistance for Olympia Place residents, and all funds raised will go directly to students in need.

"We are profoundly grateful to our donors-your generosity is felt deeply as we help our students recover and rebuild," Chancellor Reyes said in his email to the community. "Thank you for your compassion, generosity and care for one another during this difficult time."