Campus fire safety 

UL reminds college students about the importance of fire safety 

More students perished from campus-related fires in the last school year than during any of the years monitored by Campus Firewatch since 2000.

A total of 113 college students died in campus-related fires between January 2000 and Aug. 12, 2007, including 20 during the 2006-07 school year, according to Campus Firewatch, a monthly newsletter devoted to campus fire safety issues. The number of fatalities had been declining until last year’s spike.

To help raise awareness, the U.S. Senate and 15 states have designated September as “Campus Fire Safety Month.” August and September are typically the worst time of year for fatal campus-related housing fires.

“Unfortunately, most college students do no realize how quickly a fire can occur, and most have not received fire safety education since elementary school,” said Mike Halligan, president of the Center for Campus Fire Safety.

“We hope through Campus Fire Safety Month that students will realize they are not invincible, that fires do happen in campus-related settings,” Halligan said, “and that students should take steps to protect themselves no matter where they live.”

Causes of campus fires

Campus Firewatch reported that 81 percent of the fires occurred in off-campus housing, while the others fall evenly between residence halls and Greek housing. These fires are not confined to any particular region, either. Campus fires have killed college kids in 39 states since the year 2000.

The newsletter also determined four common factors in a number of these fatal fires:

• Lack of automatic fire sprinklers
• Missing or disabled smoke detectors
• Careless disposal of smoking materials
• Impaired judgment from alcohol consumption

“It’s difficult to regulate a college student’s drinking or smoking habits, particularly if they’re living off campus,” Halligan said. “But students – and their parents – can be sure there’s a working smoke detector in the residence if they purchase their own. Smoke alarms cost less than a textbook and they save lives.”

Statistics prove that smoke alarms work. Since they were introduced to consumers in the mid-1970s, smoke alarms have helped reduce fire fatalities by nearly 50 percent.

“A working smoking alarm is an effective life-saving tool by providing the necessary warning in home fire situations,” said John Drengenberg, director of Consumer Affairs for UL, a global safety organization.

Currently, there are two prevalent technologies used in smoke alarms – photoelectric and ionization, each demonstrating superior performance characteristics depending on the specific fire scenario, Drengenberg said.

UL strongly believes that utilizing both technologies optimizes detection and permits consumers the best available escape times in residential fire situations. UL is consistent with the U.S. Fire Administration’s position on the installation and use of smoke alarms.

Public fire safety records

Meanwhile, two Congressmen are working to make crucial college fire safety records available to the public. Since 1990, colleges have published crime statistics on campus thefts, assaults and sexual and capital crimes, but fire-related incidents are not required to be made public.

Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg and Rep. Bill Pascrell, both from New Jersey, are sponsoring legislation to change that. Their state is home to the Seton Hall Campus, where on Jan. 19, 2000, a dormitory fire killed three students and injured 58 others.

“We must take every step possible to prevent a tragedy like the Seton Hall fire from ever happening again,” Lautenberg said. “This measure would give the public the information it needs to evaluate fire safety at colleges and universities. There is safety in information.”

Additional resources

• Audio (mp3): Campus fire safety
• Audio (mp3): Safety tips
• Web site: Center for Campus Fire Safety