University Business - November 2009 - (Page 36)

Campus Fires: Awareness programs, community collaboration, and fire prevention technology can minimize incident numbers and the severity of campus fires. t’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. I By Michele Herrmann Teaching Fire Lessons the campus is a good setting for students to brush up on their knowledge of what to do in a fire. it’s a lesson that often hasn’t been 36 | November/December 2009 reviewed since the school days of “stop, drop, and roll,” finds Michael hodgson, campus fire marshal at the Georgia Institute of Technology. teaching methods at institutions can range from fire demonstrations and mock drills to online fire safety programs like igot2kno .org. developed under a department of homeland security grant and presented by the People’s burn Foundation, that site offers facts about fire-related causes and contains videos, one featuring a male student who was severely burned in a fire. at a recent Georgia tech interactive fire safety fair, students saw how quickly fire can progress as a mock dorm room was ignited. they could also crawl through a smoke-filled trailer simulating vision impairment during a real fire. approximately 300 student staff members receive fire safety training twice a year at the university. in addition, the university’s 40 Greek houses, 31 of which belong to the city of atlanta, undergo a fire/life safety inspection every semester. house occupants get a report noting a deadline for correcting any problems. the inspector brings any problems to the attention of the Greek life office, which, hodgson notes, ensures compliance with directives. “some of the fraternities have requested that we come out and teach a fire safety class, and we have done that on many occasions,” he explains. “We make sure they understand the basics and some prevention tips.” a personalized message helps students see the importance of fire universitybusiness.com http://www.igot2kno.org http://www.igot2kno.org http://www.universitybusiness.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of University Business - November 2009

University Business - November 2009
Contents
Editor’s Note
College Index
Company Index
Advisory Board
Behind the News
Sense of Place
Viewpoint
Money Matters
Human Resources
35 Smart Building Ideas
Campus Fires: Prevent to Protect
Pushing ADA Beyond the Limits
Internet Technology
End Note

University Business - November 2009