September Kicks Off Campus Fire Safety Month

September Kicks Off Campus Fire Safety Month

September is designated as the official “Campus Fire Safety Month,” as August and September are typically the worst time of the school year for fatal campus-related housing fires.

  • September 07, 2017

September is designated as the official “Campus Fire Safety Month,” as August and September are typically the worst time of the school year for fatal campus-related housing fires.

“With more access to kitchens, students are making more meals or snacks using stoves and ovens, often for the first time and without proper training,” said Lorraine Carli, vice president of Outreach and Advocacy for NFPA. “The campaign encourages students living on- and off-campus to know the risks and the preventative actions that can save their lives.”

Unfortunately, some students do not realize how quickly a fire can occur, and most have not received fire safety education since elementary school.

According to Michael J. Swain, president of The Center for Campus Fire Safety, encouraging students to share this information with their peers will send a strong fire safety message that will be remembered going forward.

“With the beginning of the school year,” he said, “The Center continues its mission to make campuses and off-campus housing safer for students"

The following are a few necessary fire safety tips for college students living on- or off-campus:

  • Make yourself aware of all emergency exits and have two ways to get out in mind whether you are in a dorm, movie theater, nightclub or classroom.
  • Use stairs to get out, not elevators.
  • Don’t allow smoking inside a dorm room. Make sure any cigarettes and ashes are out. After a party, check for smoldering cigarette butts, especially under cushions.  Chairs and sofas catch on fire fast, and will burn fast. Smoking was the leading cause of fatal fires in campus housing, making up 29 percent.
  • Never leave a lit candle unattended. Keep candles away from curtains, furniture, bedding and papers. Extinguish all candles when leaving the room or going to bed.
  • Keep a fire extinguisher close by and know how to use it.
  • Don’t drink too much. Alcohol was a factor in 76 percent of all fatal campus fires — fires where at least one of the students was drinking and, according to reports, legally drunk, which is at or above 0.08 percent blood alcohol concentration (BAC).
  • Don’t overload electrical outlets, power strips and extension cords. Use a surge protector for a computer and plug the protector directly into an outlet. Electrical problems cause 11 percent of fatal campus-related fires.
  • Be extra cautious during the weekend, a 70 percent of fatal campus fires occurred on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

 

If you ever get caught in any flames, remember to stop, drop and roll – it’s the most famous and well known fire tip for a reason.

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