BREAKING NEWS

Campus Fires: Prevent to Protect

[CCFS Administration]  [December 1, 2009 8:45 am ]  [Views 689]

Published in the Nov/December issue of University Business Magazine, this article discusses awareness programs, community collaboration, and fire prevention technology that can minimize incident numbers and the severity of campus fires. Author: Michele Herrmann

IT'S BEEN NEARLY A DECADE since the student-caused fire in a Seton Hall University (N.J.) dormitory killed three students and critically injured many others. The tragedy forced campus leaders to take a hard look at fire-prevention procedures and how to improve them.

"Administrators clearly saw the tragedy as an incident that could just as easily have happened [on any campus] and took steps to evaluate and reenergize local fire safety efforts,” says Paul Martin, vice president for The Center for Campus Fire Safety, a nonprofit established in 2003.

It’s a job that will never be over. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), during 2003-2006 an estimated 750 structure fires in college classroom buildings and adult education centers were reported per year, on average. Since the Seton Hall fire took place, the publication Campus Firewatch has identified more than 135 campus-related fire deaths nationwide, with 83 percent of campus-related fire fatalities occurring in off-campus housing.

College and university leaders are turning to a combination of awareness programs and technology to keep students safe from fire.  Read entire article

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